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Robert Hooke's Contribution to the Cell Theory
Hooke was the first to discovered that plants are made up of tiny things which he called cells by using a microscope of his design with a magnification power of 50. He found that these cells were walled and hollow. He was the first to show interest and actually find something about the microscopic world. He didn't know it at the time, but he sparked the lust to discover more about these cells. Nothing was previously known on this subject until then and hence fourth sparked the passion for cells -
Anton Van Leeuwenhoek's Contribution to the Cell Theory
Leeuwenhoek was the first to discover single-celled organisms by looking at pond water underneath a microscope of his design. He called these microscopic organisms 'animacules'. This discovery triggered the further interest in the knowledge of the unknown world of microorganisms. His discovery of the single-celled organisms helped from the cell theory and discredited the spontaneous generation theory. He built upon the idea of Hooke's except proved that there is single-celled life. -
Brown's Contribution to the Cell Theory
Brown discovered that cells have a nucleus. Before this discovery, there was no knowledge of organelles in a cell. He discovered the nucleus while in Australia. He was scrutinizing an orchid when he found a small opaque spot which is now called the nucleus of the cell. -
Shleiden's Contriution to the Cell Theory
Schleiden concluded that that cells are the basic building blocks of plant matter and grow from a single embryonic cell. He also concluded that plant tissue is made up of cells. Most botanists before him described and named the plants but Shleiden actually put them under a microscope and scrutinized cellular make up and determined the production of new cells to make the plant grow -
Shwann's Contribution to the Cell Theory
Schwann concluded that animal flesh is made up of cells along with plants and that cells are the basic building blocks for ALL life. He discovered this while working with his colleague, Schleiden, by looking at peripheral nerve cells and finding a new cell attached to axons an nerve fibers. This discovery of new cells led him to conclude that animals are made of cells. The cells he found are called Shwann Cells. -
Virchow's Contribution to the Cell Theory
Virchow explained that a cell can only come forth from another cell. Meaning a cell can not form on its own. It needs to come form a another cell through mitosis. This was a major turning point in biology because previously, we didn't know the origins of the cell and how they came to be. He also discovered that diseases can be traced back to cells. He discovered all of this and much much more in his research and studies in the University of Würzburg.
