Hooke constructed one of the first compound microscopes. Micrographia is an account of his discoveries using it and is the first book devoted entirely to microscopic observations. It also introduced the word "cell" to describe the structure of tissue.

The spectacular plates are renowned for their clarity and detail. It seems most are derived from Hooke's own drawings, though a few may be the work of Christopher Wren. This is of a bluebottle.