An inverted microscope is a microscope in which the light source is pointing down onto the stage while the sample is viewed from below. This configuration makes these instruments particularly useful for scientists working with cell cultures or small living organisms as live cells can be imaged at the bottom of a vessel instead of having to be fixed to a slide. As with other microscopes, it is important to consider the magnification, light source, and image capture mechanism, among other things as these will determine the size and type of sample that can be imaged and the resolution captured. An additional consideration for inverted microscopes is the quality of the sample-containing vessel used—in order to achieve a clear image, the bottom of the culture vessel should be optimized for imaging.