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Cell Discovery Theory Timeline

By vovaz99

  • Initial Observervation of Cells

    Initial Observervation of Cells
    In 1665, Robert Hooke made a simple microscope. Using this microscope, he looked at a piece of a cork, which were dead cells of oak bark. Looking at the cork, he noticed small structures resembling boxes. He called these boxes "cellulae", which means "small rooms' in Latin. Hooke called the cells this, as they reminded him of the cells in a monastery.
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  • Single Celled Organisms

    Single Celled Organisms
    A Dutch scientist by the name of Anton van Leeuwenhoek, inspired by a book written by Hooke, designed his own microscope. He saw living organisms in many substances. He had discovered single celled organisms, now referred to as protozoans.
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  • Theory of Spontaneous Generation

    Theory of Spontaneous Generation
    An English microscopist by the name of John Needham created an experiment to test the theory of spontaneous generation. In this experiment, he boiled samples of microbes to aid in the generation process. This idea is that life occurs spontaneously at the microscopic level without the need for reproduction from preexisting life. But, his theory was disproved by Lazzaro Spallanzani.
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  • Disproving of the Theory of Spontaneous Generation

    Disproving of the Theory of Spontaneous Generation
    An Italian scientist by the name of Lazzaro Spallanzani suggested that microbes could move through the air using spontaneous generation. But, upon performing experiments similar to those the John Needham performed, Spallanzani disproved this theory. His work suggested that all cells come from pre-existing cells.
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  • Observation of Plants Consisting of Cells

    Observation of Plants Consisting of Cells
    In 1838, a German scientist named Matthias Schleiden studied plants and plant tissue. From his studies, he concluded that all plants are composed of individual cells.
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  • Observation of Animal Tissue Containing Cells

    Observation of Animal Tissue Containing Cells
    A year following the discovery of Matthias Schleiden, another German scientist, by the name of Thomas Schwann, made another discovery. He observed that all animal tissue consists of individual cells.
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  • Proposition of Division of Cells

    Proposition of Division of Cells
    In 1855, a Prussian physician by the name of Rudolph Virchow probosed that all cells are produced from the division of existing cells.
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