cells

• Cell Theory


  Theories about cells, the structural and functional unit of life
• Different scientists paved the way to propose theories about cells
• Zacharias Janssen


  • Invented the first primitive microscope
• Robert Hooke


  • Observed cork cells under a microscope
  • Observed that cork is composed of small, hollow compartments
  • Gave the name "cells" to the parts he observed
• Anton van Leeuwenhoek


  • Studied new approaches for creating lenses to observe cloth
  • Leeuwenhoek's microscope was more powerful than Hooke's compound microscope
  • Observed an abundant number of single-celled organisms, which he called animalcules
• Francesco Redi


  • Disproved the spontaneous generation theory
• Matthias Schleiden


  • Proposed that all plants are composed of cells
• Theodor Schwann


  • Studied plant & animal cells, and determined that all animals are made of cells
  • Published the 1st statement of the cell theory: all living things are made of cells and cell products
• Rudolf Virchow


  • Proposed that all cells come from pre-existing cells