Here's why:

* Cells are microscopic: They are far too small to be seen with the naked eye.

* Microscopes magnify: Microscopes use lenses to enlarge the image of a small object, making it visible.

There are different types of microscopes, each with its own advantages and disadvantages:

* Light microscopes: These are the most common type and use visible light to illuminate the specimen. They can magnify up to 1000x.

* Electron microscopes: These use a beam of electrons to illuminate the specimen, providing much higher magnification (up to 1 million times) and revealing much finer details.

To choose the right microscope, consider what you want to observe. If you're looking at basic cell structures like the nucleus or cytoplasm, a light microscope will suffice. For more detailed studies of organelles and molecules, an electron microscope is necessary.