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The Forming of Cell Theory
The key discoveries that helped form cell theory take place from around 1650 to 1900 AD. In this time, scientists Hooke, Leeuwenhoek, Brown, Schwann, Schleiden, and Virchow all build on each other's work, making the serveral laws of cell theory that are common knowledge today, primarily that of living cells making up organisms and living cells originating from other living cells. -
Hooke Discovers the Cell
While looking under a microscope at a slice of cork, Robert Hooke discovered the existence of the cell. At this time, he wasn't convinced that cells were living. Hooke was convinced that cells existed, but not that they had any internal components (organelles) and didn't know their function. Hooke believed that the reason for new life was spontaneous generation. -
Leeuwenhoek Discovers "Animalcules"
In 1674 Anton Van Leeuwenhoek, who was originally a cloth merchant, discovered motile organisms while looking through a microscope. He called them animalcules; today the organisms he labeled fall under the categories of bacteria, protozoa, and rotifers. He also discovered sperm cells. -
Robert Brown
Robert Brown, in 1831, described the occurence of nuclei in the cell. He wasn't the first to see it, but he was the first to name the organelle. He was the first to recognize that the nucleus was central to a cell. Brown named the nucleus while observing plant cells, as he thought they were specific to monocotyledons. -
Schwann and Schleiden form Cell Theory
In 1837, as Schleiden and Schwann were discussing their research over dinner, they both realized that their research pointed to a fairly groundbreaking concept in Biology: all living things were made of cells. Before this theory was formed, the idea that all living things were composed of cells and cell products wasn't widely accepted, if at all. -
Virchow Proposes Cell Reproduction
Virchow, in 1858, published a work showing that all living cells came from other living cells after viewing the work of Robert Remak. The idea that all cells originate from other cells puts the final nail in the coffin of spontaneous generation, proving beyond a reasonable doubt that no living organisms can materialize.
