The History of the Microscope

A brief history of how the microscope has transformed from simple magnifying glasses to the powerful instruments of today. Biology - Cells And DNA - Learning Points. The Romans produced the first magnifying glasses in the 1st century AD. In the 17th century, Galileo formulated the principle of lenses and focusing while Robert Hooke built the first compound microscope. In 1670, Anton van Leeuwenhoek developed a single-lens microscope far superior to the compound lens. In 1931, Max Knoll and Ernst Ruska invented the electron microscope. A Twig Context Film. Reinforce and extend the learning required by the curriculum. Twig’s context films show abstract concepts in action in the real world.