When purchasing in the laboratory, you will be wondering: it is also a biological microscope, what is the difference between an upright microscope and an inverted microscope, and can they be substituted for each other?
Follow the detailed understanding of Yikamo Optics below to distinguish it ~
Upright microscopes such as the BG290Z electron-biological microscope: the objective is above the sample, under the light source, and the light penetrates the slide sample from bottom to top, which is compact and suitable for thin slice specimens.
Inverted microscopes, such as the PHD500 inverted bio-phase contrast: the objective is below the sample, the light source is above, the light penetrates the culture container and the culture medium for imaging, there is sufficient space above the stage, and samples such as petri dishes, culture bottles, and porous plates can be seen.
Many people mistakenly believe that the amplification capabilities of the two are the same. In fact, the gap is huge. The core is not the magnification number, but the high magnification imaging resolution.
🔍 Upright microscope: supports 1000x ultra-high resolution observations
Standard 4X, 10x, 20x, 40x, 100x oil mirrors for up to 1000x magnification. Each objective basically has a 0 .17 logo. Relying on a high NA objective, the optical path is pure and free of interference, the resolution is full, and tiny details such as bacteria, cell microstructure, and pathological section texture can be clearly observed. It is the first choice for high-power microscopic observation.
🔍 Inverted microscope: Regular up to 400x (optional 600x in special cases)
Generally, only 4 X -40 X objectives are configured, and there is basically no 100 X oil lens configuration. Due to the need to penetrate the plastic bottom of the petri dish + culture medium during observation, the multi-layer medium will interfere with the light path. Even if a high-power lens is installed, the imaging clarity is not as good as the positive position. There is basically a 1.2 logo on the objective lens, and even a 1.1 logo. The core advantage of inversion is the observation of live samples, rather than ultra-high magnification.
The design of the two microscopes is different, and the suitable experimental scenarios are completely independent:
✅ Upright microscope: adapted for fixed, stained static samples
It is mainly used for pathological paraffin/frozen sections, blood smears, bacterial microbial smears, plant tissue sections, etc., and is mostly used for pathological diagnosis, microbial detection, and fine specimen observation.
✅ Inverted microscope: adapted to live, liquid environmental samples
It can be directly placed in petri dishes, culture bottles, and porous cell plates, and is specially used for cell culture observation, live cell dynamic experiments, embryo observation, drug screening, etc. It is a standard equipment in the cell laboratory.
📌 Requires 1000x HD, slice viewing/bacteria/static slice specimen → selection and placement
📌 Observe live cells, dish samples, do dynamic cell experiments and → select inverted
Microscope selection does not look at the magnification, only look at the sample type, choose the right equipment to ensure the experimental effect!
In addition to positive inversion and magnification, the NA value of the objective lens, working distance, phase difference, and fluorescence module are all important for microscope selection. You can consult us at any time for equipment selection and experimental program matching needs!
Tell us the material, the feature you need to see and the magnification range. We will recommend a configuration and quote it.
