Development of Cell Theory

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    Developement of Cell Theory

  • Robert Hooke

    Robert hooke looked at thin pieces of cork through a microscope. He saw little holes and called them cells.
  • Francesco Redi

    Redi believed that spontaneous generation was nonsense and tried to prove it by taking a piece of raw meat and placing it in a jar. He started with the jar completely closed off, then went to just putting gauze over the top, and then ended off with a completely opened jar. He noted that the only time flies appeared on the meat was when the jar was completely open.
  • John Needham

    Tried to prove spontaneous generation by boiling chicken broth to kill all the existing micro-organisms and then putting it in a container. He then sealed the container and micro-organisms still grew.
  • Robert Brown

    Discovered the nucleus of a cell during his study of orchids. He saw the dark spot on the cell and was the first person to think anything of it.
  • M. J. Shleiden

    Observed that all plants were composed of cells and thought the nucleus was the structure responsible for the developement of the cell.
  • Theodor Schwann

    Discussed with Shleiden and then composed that all animals were made of cells aswell as plants because he saw the nucleus in animal cells.
  • Rudolf Virchow

    Stated that all new cells arise from pre-existing cells.
  • Louis Pasteur

    Made an experiment that involves a flask bent into an S shape. He put chicken broth in it and then noted that air could get to the broth but not micro-organisms in the air because they would get caught in the bend of the flask. Nothing grew. He then tipped the broth so that it could get to the S bend so that the micro-organisms would mix with the broth. Organisms started to grow.