An inverted microscope is a

microscope A microscope () is a laboratory instrument used to examine objects that are too small to be seen by the naked eye. Microscopy is the science of investigating small objects and structures using a microscope. Microscopic means being invisibl ...

with its

light source Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 terah ...

and condenser on the top, above the stage pointing down, while the objectives and turret are below the stage pointing up. It was invented in 1850 by

J. Lawrence Smith John Lawrence Smith (December 17, 1818 – October 12, 1883) was an American chemist and mineralogist. He published extensively on analytical chemistry and mineralogy, including ''Mineralogy and Chemistry, Original Researches'' (1873; enla ...

, a faculty member of

Tulane University Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into a comprehensive pu ...

(then named the Medical College of Louisiana).

Construction

The stage of an inverted microscope is usually fixed, and focus is adjusted by moving the objective lens along a vertical axis to bring it closer to or further from the specimen. The focus mechanism typically has a dual concentric knob for coarse and fine adjustment. Depending on the size of the microscope, four to six objective lenses of different magnifications may be fitted to a rotating turret known as a nosepiece. These microscopes may also be fitted with accessories for fitting still and video cameras, fluorescence illumination, confocal scanning and many other applications.

Biological applications

Inverted microscopes are useful for observing living cells or

organism In biology, an organism () is any life, living system that functions as an individual entity. All organisms are composed of cells (cell theory). Organisms are classified by taxonomy (biology), taxonomy into groups such as Multicellular o ...

s at the bottom of a large container (e.g., a

tissue culture Tissue culture is the growth of tissues or cells in an artificial medium separate from the parent organism. This technique is also called micropropagation. This is typically facilitated via use of a liquid, semi-solid, or solid growth medium, su ...

flask) under more natural conditions than on a glass slide, as is the case with a conventional microscope. An inverted microscope is also used for visualisation of the mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria in the technique called Microscopic Observation Drug Susceptibility assay (MODS).

Micromanipulation

Inverted microscopes are used in

micromanipulation A micromanipulator is a device which is used to physically interact with a sample under a microscope, where a level of precision of movement is necessary that cannot be achieved by the unaided human hand. It may typically consist of an input joysti ...

applications where space above the specimen is required for manipulator mechanisms and the microtools they hold, and in metallurgical applications where polished samples can be placed on top of the stage and viewed from underneath using reflecting objectives.

References

External links

An example of the Nachet-Smith inverted chemical microscope, c. 1885
American inventions Microscopes {{optics-stub