The History of Cell Theory

The History of Cell Theory

As we all probably know today, every single living being is made up by cells - the building blocks of life. As much as we would like to take this fact for granted, we cannot help but acknowledge and remember the works and discoveries of earlier scientists which all contributed to our today's understanding of the cell theory. The cell theory being; all living things are composed of one or more cells, cells are organisms' basic units of structure and function, and cells only come from existing cells. Their discoveries lead to the development of inventions necessary to induce further research in the area which resulted in the creation of devices such as the microscope.

Robert Hooke

Robert Hooke was probably the greatest experimental scientist of the seventeenth century. He was able to observe cells through studying thin slices of cork which was probably one of his most famous discoveries. He discovered plant cells, and in those he saw what today we know as 'cell walls'. Hooke was, in fact, the person who first gave them the name of 'cells' as those box-like cells of cork reminded him of the cells in a monastery. After discovering this in cork slices, he moved on to observing wood and other plants in which he also realized were made up of cells. Further into this, he reported to have discovered "little animals" which we know today as bacteria and protozoa and was able to prove his findings which opened the way for other scientists to pursue their studies in the same matters. He found much difficulty with Anton van Leeuwenhoek's simple microscopes although they conducted clearer images than his own microscope which therefore set to making his own compound microscope which prompted the creation and development of newer and improved microscopes.

His discoveries supported the cell theory because he was amongst the first people to have discovered and partially understood them and given them the name which we still use today. He noticed the existence of bacteria and protozoa in the cells which again leads to our today's understanding of the use and purpose of cells.

Anton van Leeuwenhoek

Anton van Leeuwenhoek is recognized as having made some of the most important discoveries in the history of biology. He was the first to discover bacteria, protests, sperm cells, blood cells, microscopic nematodes, rotifers, and many more. He took an interest in microscopes early in his life and as a hobby put together more than 247 simple ones - some of which were able to magnify objects up to 270 times which exceeded all those of other scientists in the same subject.

Leeuwenhoek took to studying and observing many things with his home-made microscopes and would slice off thin layers of cork, plants, or other living things. He was the first scientist ever to be able to give a detailed description of red blood cells, to see a single-celled bacteria and protozoa and to find living organisms from scraping tartar off his own teeth. This all contributes to the development of the cell theory because without his discoveries and inventions, our current most advanced microscopes wouldn't exist since they are simply a built up and much highly improved version of his. The fact that he was the first to discover the existence of cells leads to the further study of them by other scientists - still carrying on until today.

Matthias Schleiden

Matthias Schleiden was a German botanist who studied mainly cells in plants. He observed that all plants were