Microscopes are important tools. But do you know the difference between there microscopes and when to use each type? The compound light microscope combines the power of lenses and light to enlarge the subject being viewed.

The stereo microscope allows an object to be viewed three-dimensionally under the lenses.

Very small, live cells, like bacterial cells should be viewed using a scanning electron microscope.

The scanning electro microscope produces high-resolution, sharp, black and white 3D images.

If your task was to dissect the mouth parts of a grasshopper, you would use a compound light microscope to assist you.

Electron microscopes differ from light microscopes in that they produce an image of a specimen by using a beam of electrons rather than a beam of light.