In natural science and signal processing, an artifact or artefact is any error in the perception or representation of any information introduced by the involved equipment or technique(s).
Diffraction spikes and the Airy disk are optical artifacts caused by the diffraction of light through the aperture of an optical system.
Microscopy is the technical field of using microscopes to view objects and areas of objects that cannot be seen with the naked eye. There are three well-known branches of microscopy: optical, electron, and scanning probe microscopy, along with the emerging field of X-ray microscopy.
Scanning electron microscope image of pollen (false colors)
Microscopic examination in a biochemical laboratory
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632–1723)
Stereo microscope