Through which type of microscope were cells first observed?

• A. Electron microscope
• B. Light microscope
• C. Confocal microscope
• D. Scanning tunneling microscope

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the historical context of microscopy: The first cells were observed in the 17th century, long before the invention of advanced microscopes like electron or confocal microscopes.
2. Recall that the earliest microscopes used visible light to magnify objects, which is the principle behind the light microscope.
3. Recognize that electron microscopes, confocal microscopes, and scanning tunneling microscopes were developed much later and use different technologies (electron beams, laser scanning, and tunneling currents respectively).
4. Identify that the light microscope was the tool used by pioneers like Robert Hooke and Antonie van Leeuwenhoek to first observe cells.
5. Conclude that the correct answer is the light microscope, as it was the first type of microscope through which cells were observed.