The History of Cells

Robert C. Hooke discovers the cell

Feb 28, 1653

Robert C. Hooke discovers (plant) cells while looking at a slice of cork using a microscope, he calls them 'cellula' which in english means small rooms.

Antoni Van Leeuwenhoek discovers the existence of single celled organisms and called them ‘little animalcules’.

Feb 28, 1682

Antoni Van Leeuwenhoek becomes the first man to witness live cells under a microscope.

Luigi Galvani, Kaspar Friedrich Wolff, and others find more evidence that the human body is full of cells using a microscope

Feb 28, 1700

Henri Dutrochet discovers that everything is ultimately derived from cells and proposes hat new cells arise from within old ones

Feb 28, 1740

Henri Dutrochet discovers that everything is ultimately derived from cells and proposes that new cells arise from within old ones, this, however this wasn't clearly sated until François Raspail.

Abraham Trembley observed bacteria replicate by dividing in a process known as binary fission

Feb 28, 1766

François Raspail states one of the two major tenets of cell theory: Omnis cellula e cellula, which means "Every cell is derived from another cell.“, and founds cell biochemistry.

Feb 28, 1820

Robert Brown discovers and names the nucleus

Feb 28, 1831

Robert Brown names the nucleus and suggestes its importance in fertilization by looking at cells of Asclepiads and orchids through a microscope.

Robert Remak states that binary fission was the means of reproduction of new animal cells.

Feb 28, 1838

Theodor Schwann proposes that all living things are entirely made of cells.

Feb 28, 1839