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First Cell Description
In Robert Hooke's book published at this time, he coined the term "cells." He did this as he described the structure of a cork by its microscopic units. Because of what Hooke wrote in his book, Micrographia, this term is still used and studied by scientists to this day. -
Leeuwenhoek's Conclusion on Particles
Antoni van Leeuwenhoek has a letter written to this date which was addressed to the Royal Society. He wrote his discovery of particles he saw under his microscope being living organisms. This is important because he then went on to put research forward about "animalcules," a term he used for microorganisms. -
Brown's Nucleus Discovery
Robert Brown created the term "nucleus" and acknowledged it as an essential constituent of living cells. His discovery was supported by his findings while observing a single circular areola of orchid leaves. Brown laid the foundation for what a nucleus is and where the name originated from. -
Schleiden's Structural Suggestion
Matthias Jakob Schleiden came up with the idea that each structural element of plants is composed of cells or their products. This is important because the official formulation of cell theory is partially creditied to Schleiden. -
Theodore Schwann's Conclusion
Schwann was paired with Schleiden for having their conclusions being major for formulating cell theory. Schleiden's conclusion was similar to Theodore's, and so their names are shared together. Schwann's was animal-based, and it's placed on this timeline because of his statement of the formation of cells being a principle of organism development. -
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Walther Flemming
Walther Flemming introduced many new aspects of cell theory like the name "chromatin" as the heavily strained structures of cell division. In 1882, Flemming came up with the term "mitosis" and explained its numerous processes. Flemming helped the advancement of this topic as well as providing evidence for the "deep unity of the living world." -
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Santiago Ramón y Cajal
Cajal became the central advocate and active champion of the neuron theory by using Golgi's black reaction. Modern neuroscience was developed with the help of Cajal's neuroanatomical studies. It's important to acknowledge Santiago because although there wasn't definitive proof of the neuron theory until the electron microscope came to be, he still laid foundations that helped more studies to be formed. -
Golgi's "Black Reaction"
In 1886, Camillo Golgi developed his method of the black reaction, which made a full view of a single nerve cell possible for the first time. Golgi's technique proved to have a great influence as it lets specific elements arise from the nervous puzzle. This event belongs in this timeline because it can be known as the most important breakthrough in neurotology and neuroanatomy. -
Wilhelm's New Idea
The concept of an independent body being formed from the nerve-cell body and its prolongations was put out by Wilhelm His. Another important thing he put out was that what might be true of the nervous system is a separation of cell units. This event was included since because of this happening, the nervous system started to be considered as a sum of anatomically and functionally independent cells. -
"Neurons" Are Introduced
Heinrich Wilhelm Gottfried von Waldeyer-Hartz was who the term "neurons" originated from. He used the word to represent independent nerve cells. This is important because after this occurred, neuron theory was identified as cell theory that regards the nervous system.