Microscopes

The goal of any laboratory microscope is to produce clear, high-quality images, whether an optical microscope, which uses light to generate the image, a scanning or transmission electron microscope (using electrons), or a scanning probe microscope (using a probe). Upright microscopes are the most common type, with the lighting system below the stage and the lens system above; inverted microscopes, particularly useful for cell culture, reverse this configuration. Applications include biotechnology, pharmaceutical research, nanophysics, microelectronics, and geology.