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Robert Hooke's Discovery of the Cell
Hooke discovered a structure in the shape of a honeycomb inside of a cork slice. He used a primitive compound microscope to investigate further. He only saw cell walls since the tissue was dead. He created the term "cell" for the individual compartments. This discovery started the cell timeline. -
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Anton van Leeuwenhoek's Discovery of the Living Cell
Leeuwenhoek discovered the first living cells while looking at a drop of pond water through a microscope. When saw these cells, he described them as "small animals" which he called animalcules." Among these were the first protozoa and bacteria discovered." This improved on Robert Hooke's cell theory because he had a more improved vision of the cell with his microscope, and saw life in a cell instead of a dead cell. He also discovered that there were more than one type of cell. -
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Robert Brown's Discovery
Brown discovered the nucleus in plant cells by looking at the cells of orchids through a microscope. He studied pollen travelling in and out of ovals in the cells. He named this oval "the nucleus." He suggested that it was at the center of cellular creation. His work is also credited with helping discover how the embryo develops. Brown improved on Leeuwenhoek's theory because on top of seeing a live cell, Brown saw functioning organelles within the cells and was able to report on them. -
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Matthias Jacob Schleiden's Discovery
Schleiden proposed that all plant tissues are composed of cells. He also stated that cells are the basic building blocks of all plants. This was the first generalized statement about cells in the scientific community. This improved on Robert Brown's cell theory by evaluating that based on Brown's evidence of cells, cells are the basic building blocks for all plants. -
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Theodor Schwann's Discovery
Schwann presented the idea that all living things are made of cells, and the cell is the basic unit of all organisms. He proved that all organisms have one or more cells. With this, Schwann coined the term "metabolism," which is the process by which energy changes occur in living things. This improved on Schleiden's theory by coming to the conclusion that all organisms are made of cells, plants and animals, and that all have the function of metabolism. -
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Rudolf Virchow's Discovery
Virchow said that cells only develop from living cells, and that diseased cells only come from healthy ones. This simply states that cells come from cells, and that cancer is developed from a mutation in a healthy cell. -
Anton van Leeuwenhoek's Discovery of the Living Cell