Diseases have claimed millions of lives throughout human history. The causes of many of the diseases that have plagued the human race have been found at the microscopic level. The microscope, one of man's greatest inventions, has helped find the causes, and therefore treatments, for many of these diseases. Additionally, the microscope can help solve crimes, as well as see the cells that make humans who they are. The origins of the microscope can be traced back to the Roman invention of glass in the 1st century AD, when the Romans experimented with different forms of glass, they discovered that when the center of the glass was thicker than the edges, things seen through the glass appeared larger . This discovery evolved into the first glasses, made in the 13th century. The first microscope, a simple version of the one we have today, was first invented in 1590 by Dutch opticians Zacharias Janssen and his father Hans. The first person to actually build and use a microscope on a scientific level was Anton van Leeuwenhoek in the 17th century. He had achieved much greater magnification than other scientists, and because of this, he was able to be the first to see tiny creatures, such as bacteria and microorganisms living in a drop of water. One of the reasons why the microscope is a great invention is the help it provided in the field of medicine. The microscope has helped diagnose and find treatments for many diseases. An example of this is seen when looking at how cancer is diagnosed. Doctors can take biopsies of a tumor or growth and examine them under a microscope. At the microscopic level, they can look at the patient's cells to see if they are cancerous... middle of paper... the microscope has improved lives. Furthermore, through technological improvement and increased use, the microscope must advance our scientific knowledge. This is why the microscope is the greatest invention in the world. Bibliography http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/breast-cancer. 2014. March 29, 2014. http://www.cancer.org/treatment/understandingyourdiagnosis/examsandtestdescriptions/testingbiopsyandcytologyspecimensforcancer/testing-biopsy-and-cytology-specimens-for-cancer-what-doctors-look-for. March 7, 2013. March 29, 2014. http://www.history-of-the-microscope.org/history-of-the-microscope-who-invented-the-microscope.php. 2010. March 21, 2014. http://www.rdmag.com/articles/2005/12/eye-forensic-microscopy. December 28, 2005. March 29, 2014. Rice, George. http://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/research_methods/microscopy/fluromic.html. November 19, 2013. March 29 2014.