Editing Inverted microscope

{{Short description|Type of microscope}}
[[File:Inverted Microscope.jpg|thumb|right|200 px|An inverted microscope for [[tissue culture]] examination.]]
An '''inverted microscope''' is a [[microscope]] with its [[light source]] and [[condenser (microscope)|condenser]] on the top, above the stage pointing down, while the [[objective (optics)|objectives]] and turret are below the stage pointing up. It was invented in 1850 by [[J. Lawrence Smith (chemist)|J. Lawrence Smith]], a faculty member of [[Tulane University]] (then named the Medical College of Louisiana).<ref name="JLSmith">{{cite journal|author=Smith JL|title=The inverted microscope-a new form of microscope|journal=Am J Sci Arts|volume=14|pages=233–241|year=1852}}</ref>

==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 microscope|fluorescence illumination]], [[Confocal laser scanning microscopy|confocal scanning]] and many other applications.

==Biological applications==
Inverted microscopes are useful for observing living [[Cell (biology)|cells]] or [[organism]]s at the bottom of a large container (e.g., a [[tissue culture]] 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 [[micromanipulator|micromanipulation]] 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==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.antique-microscopes.com/photos/Nachet_Chemical_Inverted_microscope.htm An example of the Nachet-Smith inverted chemical microscope, c. 1885]

[[Category:American inventions]]
[[Category:Microscopes]]

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