Cell theory timeline.

Robert Hooke was the first person to discover the cell. By examining pieces of cork under a primitive compound microscope he found what he called "tiny pores", and named them cells after compartments monks would live in. He is credited as the first man to discover the cell. He was the basis of all other scientist to go off of for discovering the cell, and discovered something that people have never known existed before.

After being inspired by glasses lenses Leeuwenhoek was able to create one of the first "practical" microscopes. After creating a microscope he used it to examine pond water and discovered bacteria. He was the first to discover the single cell organisms, and was able to distinguish that there were multi-cellular and single cell organism; his findings were superior to Hook's because he found a major difference in the discovery of cells in that there are single and multi cellular organisms.

Brown discovered the nucleus in a plant. He was a botanist who spent his time viewing plants under a microscope, with time he was able to distinguish the plant's nucleus and fully describe it. His discovery is more detailed then the previous scientist since his is more precise and is beginning to show the subatomic particle contained in the cell.

After becoming familiar with Matthias Schleiden's microscopic research on plants, Schwann did research on human tissues, using microscopes and lots of time, and concluded 3 discoveries: first, animals and plants consist of cells plus the secretions of cells. Second, these cells have independent lives, which, third, are subject to the organism's life. His discoveries are superior to Brown because he discovered the cells have independent lives and are more complex than what Brown thought.

Virchow proposed that all cells result from the division of previously existing cells, and this idea became a key piece of modern cell theory. After accepting Robert Remak's idea that cells generate new cells he began researching and publishing papers he came to the conclusion that cells derive from other cells and diseased cells come from healthy cells, thus making his discoveries superior to Schleiden in that they are more accurate and closer to the actual model and idea of the cell.

Schleiden is credited as one of the three scientist who developed the cell theory. By studying plants under a microscope Schleiden concluded that the different parts of the plant organism are composed of cells or derivatives of cells, he recognized the importance of the nucleus. His discoveries are superior to Schwann since he discovered that cells have different parts making his calculations more accurate than what Schwann discovered.