In Greek, “micro-“ translates to “very small” and “-scopy”
means to “see, examine, or observe.” Microscopy, therefore, is the act of
observing things that are very small. In science, this is done with a
microscope to view samples and objects invisible to the unaided human eye. The
three branches of microscopy include optical, electron, and scanning probe
microscopy. Optical microscopy implements visible light either reflected by the
object or transmitted through the object.
In an electron microscope, the resolution is increased by the use of an
electron beam with a much shorter wavelength than visible light. A scanning
probe microscope uses physical contact with a surface to view its features.