First Microscope

The discovery of the lens dates back to antiquity. In the writings of Pliny the Elder, the lens was casually mentioned and appeared to have existed even before Pliny's time. The lenses were crude and made of circular crystals that are cut thick at the center and tapers off to the edge. These crystal lenses not only made an object appear ten times bigger but could also focus sunlight and set fire a dry papyrus. Thus, the lenses were called "burning glasses." Then, more efficient ways of making fire were invented. The lenses were used for less dangerous purposes, such as helping the failing eyes of an old man see better. These lenses became part of a new-fangled device (new to the 13th century, that is) called spectacles.

Making spectacles became a viable business in the Middle Ages, along with spinning cotton, weaving textiles, and printing publications using Gutenberg's amazing machine. Anton van Leeuwenhoek was a humble apprentice of a shop that manufactures cloth. He was using lenses to count the threads. Every medieval fashion expert knows that a higher thread count means a better quality cloth. Leeuwenhoek was primarily concerned about accuracy and this is why he devised new methods of polishing lenses. He even produced lenses that can magnify 270 times. Finally, Leeuwenhoek realized that his talents are not for the textile industry. He focused on his lenses and the numerous ways that they could be used. He assembled a tubular device in which one end has a plate for holding tiny objects and near the other end is a powerful lens. It was the first microscope.

Using this device, he found tiny living things in a single drop of water. The device made him see bacteria and the moving blood cells. He submitted his findings about the living and non-living world to the Royal Society of England and the French Academy. Today, he is honored as the father of microscopy.