84
L
eafing through the pages of
Micrographia, a 17th-century
reader would have been
astonished. Here, in English
scientist Robert Hooke’s seminal
1665 book, were many detailed
illustrations of structures previously
hidden from the human eye due to
their minuscule size. Hooke’s
microscope magnified things by a
factor of fifty, but the accuracy of
his drawings also owes much to
his painstaking approach. Hooke
would make numerous sketches
from many different angles before
combining them into a single image.Although it is not known for
certain who developed the first
microscopes, they were certainly
in use by the 1660s. The early
instruments were unreliable—due
to the difficulty of making the
lenses—and scientists had to be
inventive and work around the
problem. At first, Hooke had
difficulty seeing his specimens
clearly, so he invented an improved
light source, named a “scotoscope.”
Hooke’s book is more than just
an accurate representation of what
he saw through the lens; it also
theorizes on what the images reveal
about the workings of the organisms
he studied. For example, when
looking at a wafer-thin specimen of
cork, Hooke saw a honeycomb-like
pattern, the elements of which he
described as “cells”—a term that is
still used today.Microscopic marvels
Micrographia inspired many
other scientists to investigate the
microscopic world. Following
notes and diagrams from Hooke’s
book, Dutch scientist Antonie
van Leeuwenhoek was able to
construct his own microscopes.
He achieved magnifications of
more than 200 times actual size.IN CONTEXT
KEY FIGURE
Robert Hooke (1635–1703)BEFORE
1267 English philosopher
Roger Bacon discusses the use
of optics for looking at “the
smallest particles of dust” in
his Opus Majus Volume V.1661 Microscopic drawings by
English architect Christopher
Wren impress Charles II, who
commissions more drawings
from Robert Hooke.AFTER
1683 Dutch amateur scientist
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
uses a microscope to observe
bacteria and protozoa, and
publishes his findings with
the Royal Society of London.1798 Edward Jenner, an
English physician and
scientist, develops the world’s
first vaccine—for smallpox—
and publishes An Inquiry into
the Causes and Effects of the
Variolae Vaccinae.BY THE HELP
OF MICROSCOPES
NOTHING ESCAPES
OUR INQUIRY
THE MICROBIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT
... in every little particle...
we now behold almost as
great a variety of Creatures,
as we were able before to
reckon up in the whole
Universe itself.
Robert HookeUS_084-085_The_Microbiological_Environment.indd 84 12/11/18 6:24 PM