Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Historical Perspective
  • Published:

Lessons from the history of light microscopy

Abstract

Historically, the late arrival of optical microscopy is something of a puzzle, although it may be a testament to the fact that the development of new technology is driven by the desire for scientific knowledge, and not the other way around. The explorations that began in the 17th century are by no means complete, but who is carrying them forward now?

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1
Figure 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hooke, R. Micrographia (Facsimile edition, Dover, New York, 1961).

  2. Ford, B. J. The Leeuwenhoek Legacy (Biopress and Farrand, Bristol and London, 1991).

  3. Schmidt, O., Wilms, K. H. & Lingelbach, B. Optometry and Visual Science 76, 624–630 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Baker, J. R. Abraham Trembley of Geneva (Arnold, London, 1952).

  5. Harris, H. The Cells of the Body (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, New York, 1995).

  6. Strassburger, E. Zellbindung und Zelltheilung 3rd edn (Herman Dabis, Jena, 1880).

  7. Boveri, T. Z. Naturwissenschaften 22, 685–882 (1888).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Hepler,P. K. J. Cell Biol. 100, 1362–1366 ( 1985).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Albertson, D. G., Rose, A. M. & Villeneuve, A. in C. elegans II Ch. 3, 47– 78 (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, New York, 1997).

  10. Olive, L. S. Science 202, 530–532 ( 1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Kofoid, C. A. & Swezy, O. The Free-Living Unarmored Dinoflagellata. Mem. Univ. California 5.1 (1921).

  12. Greuet, C. Protistologica 4, 209–230 (1968).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Huxley, J. Memories 282–285 (Allen & Unwin, London 1972)

  14. Beisson, J. & Sonneborn, T. M. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 53, 275–282 (1965).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Aufderheide, K. J., Rotolo, T. C. & Grimes, G. W. Eur. J. Protistol. 35, 81– 91 (1999).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Pijper, A., Neser, M. L. & Abraham, G. J. Gen. Microbiol. 14, 371– 384 (1956).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Summers, K. E. & Gibbons, I. R. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 68, 3092–3096 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Horio, T. & Hotani, H. Nature 321 605–607 (1986).

  19. Spitta, E. J. Microscopy (Murray, London, 1907).

  20. Svoboda, K. & Block, S. M. Annu. Rev. Biophys. Biomol. Struct. 23, 247–285 ( 1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. White, J. G., Amos, W. B. & Fordham, M. J. J. Cell Biol. 105, 41– 48 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Tolansky, S. Multiple-Beam Interference Microscopy of Metals (Academic Press, London, 1970).

  23. Hale, A. J. The Interference Microscope in Biological Research. (Livingstone, Edinburgh, 1958).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Brad Amos.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Amos, B. Lessons from the history of light microscopy. Nat Cell Biol 2, E151–E152 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/35019639

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/35019639

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing