Final answer:
Zacharias Janssen and his son Hans are credited by some as the inventors of the compound microscope in the 16th century, but historical evidence is not definitive.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the 16th century, a father-and-son team, by the name of Zacharias Janssen and his son Hans, produced a compound microscope consisting of a simple tube with lenses at each end. These Dutch spectacle-makers are often cited as potential inventors of the compound microscope as well as the telescope. However, the historical evidence surrounding their work is inconclusive and complicated by the simultaneous work of their neighbor, Hans Lippershey. Despite this, their experimentation with multiple lenses greatly contributed to the evolution of microscopes which ultimately led to significant advancements in fields such as biology and medicine.
In the 16th century, a father-and-son team named Zacharias Janssen and Hans Janssen produced a compound microscope consisting of a simple tube with lenses at each end. They were Dutch spectacle makers who are often credited with inventing the compound microscope, along with the telescope.