Editing Optical microscope (section)

==Applications==
[[File:Vaginal wet mount of candidal vulvovaginitis.jpg|thumb| A 40x magnification image of cells in a medical [[smear test]] taken through an optical microscope using a [[wet mount]] technique, placing the specimen on a glass slide and mixing with a salt solution]]
Optical microscopy is used extensively in microelectronics, nanophysics, biotechnology, pharmaceutic research, mineralogy and microbiology.<ref>[http://www.fy.chalmers.se/microscopy/students/imagecourse/O1.pdf O1 Optical Microscopy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110124110445/http://www.fy.chalmers.se/microscopy/students/imagecourse/O1.pdf |date=24 January 2011 }} By Katarina Logg. Chalmers Dept. Applied Physics. 20 January 2006</ref>

Optical microscopy is used for [[medical diagnosis]], the field being termed [[histopathology]] when dealing with tissues, or in [[smear test]]s on free cells or tissue fragments.{{cn|date=December 2024}}

In industrial use, binocular microscopes are common. Aside from applications needing true [[Stereo microscope|depth perception]], the use of dual eyepieces reduces [[Asthenopia|eye strain]] associated with long workdays at a microscopy station. In certain applications, long-working-distance or long-focus microscopes<ref name="macrolensdb">{{cite web | url=http://www.macrolenses.de/ml_detail_sl.php?ObjektiveNr=315 | title=Long-focus microscope with camera adapter | work=macrolenses.de | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003192049/http://www.macrolenses.de/ml_detail_sl.php?ObjektiveNr=315 | archive-date=3 October 2011 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> are beneficial.  An item may need to be examined behind a [[Optical window|window]], or industrial subjects may be a hazard to the objective.  Such optics resemble telescopes with close-focus capabilities.<ref name="questar">{{cite web | url=http://company7.com/questar/microscope.html/ | title=Questar Maksutov microscope | work=company7.com | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615194516/http://www.company7.com/questar/microscope.html | archive-date=15 June 2011 | df=dmy-all | access-date=11 July 2011 }}</ref><ref name="fta">{{cite web| url=http://www.firsttenangstroms.com/accessories/longrangemicroscope/LongRangeMicroscope.html/| work=firsttenangstroms.com| title=FTA long-focus microscope| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120226020029/http://www.firsttenangstroms.com/accessories/longrangemicroscope/LongRangeMicroscope.html| archive-date=26 February 2012| df=dmy-all| access-date=11 July 2011}}</ref>

Measuring microscopes are used for precision measurement.  There are two basic types.
One has a [[reticle]] graduated to allow measuring distances in the focal plane.<ref>{{cite book|first=Gustaf |last=Ollsson |chapter=Reticles |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rcrGlrguj1YC&pg=PA2409 |title=Encyclopedia of Optical Engineering, Vol. 3 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-0-824-74252-2 |year=2003 |page=2409 |editor-first=Ronald G. |editor-last=Driggers}}</ref>  The other (and older) type has simple [[crosshairs]] and a micrometer mechanism for moving the subject relative to the microscope.<ref>{{cite book|title=Journal of the Royal Microscopical Society, Containing Its Transactions and Proceedings and a Summary of Current Researches Relating to Zoology and Botany (Principally Invertebrata and Cryptogamia), Microscopy, &c. |chapter=Microscopy |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=evMVAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA716 |year=1906 |page=716}} A discussion of Zeiss measuring microscopes.</ref>

Very small, portable microscopes have found some usage in places where a laboratory microscope would be a burden.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Linder|first=Courtney|date=2019-11-22|title=If You've Ever Wanted a Smartphone Microscope, Now's Your Chance|url=https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gear/a29873640/smartphone-microscope-diple/|access-date=2020-11-03|website=Popular Mechanics|language=en-US}}</ref>