Inverted Microscope

An inverted microscope is a microscope where the objective lenses are mounted below the stage and collect light that travels downward through the specimen to the objectives lenses below to form the magnified image. Inverted microscopes do not require specimens to be "fixed” on a slide, thus enabling the magnification of whole organisms, large metal samples and live cells in culture mediums. Even large, heavy industrial samples can be magnified by these devices. With the inverted microscope, biological cells did not have to be killed and stained in order to be magnified.