Discovery of Cell
Nov 17, 2022, 16:45 IST
Several discoveries changed the course of science and the world. Louis Pasteur discovered how heat could kill pathogens in food, Nikola Tesla discovered alternating currents, and so on. Similarly, the discovery of cells was a significant breakthrough in the advancement of life science. Let's take a detailed look at the discovery of cells, who discovered cells, and how cells were found.
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Who Discovered Cells?
Cells is the basic structural and functional unit of life. The term "cell" was first coined in 1665 by the British scientist Robert Hooke. He was the first to study living things under a microscope, examining a thin slice of a cork under the microscope and observing honeycomb-like structures. Robert Hooke called these structures cells.
Soon after, Antonie Van Leuwenhoek made further discoveries by inventing the microscope lenses that is more powerful than the microscopes of his day. He was the first to observe a human cells and also bacteria under his microscope.
With advances in microscopes, more discoveries were made about the cells. Thus, with the help of a light microscope, it was difficult to visualize the tiny structures inside the cells. As a result, a more the powerful microscope, known as the electron microscope, was invented, which made it easier to observe the objects smaller than cells.
Discovery of Stem Cells
Matt Kauffman and Martin Evans discovered stem cells. In 1981, they identified, isolated, and cultured embryonic stem cells from mouse blastocysts. Later, James Thomson and his subordinates isolated embryonic stem cells from the human blastocyst. This helped scientists to create the building blocks of the human body in unlimited quantities. This discovery made it possible to have cell types for therapeutic purposes and new transplant methods that were impossible in earlier times.
Discovery of Cells Landmarks
| Scientist | Discovery |
| Robert Hooke | Discovered cells |
| Anton Van Leuwenhoek | Discovered protozoa and bacteria |
| Robert Brown | Discovered cell nucleus |
| Albert Von Kolliker | Discovered mitochondria |
| Schleiden and Schwann | Proposed cell theory |
| Evans and Kauffman | Discovered Embryonic Stem Cells from mice |
| James Thomson | Discovered Embryonic Stem Cells from humans |
| Camillo Golgi | Golgi apparatus |
| Joseph Beinaime Caventou and Pierre Joseph Pelletier | Discovered chlorophyll |
Frequently Asked Question (FAQs)
Q1. Who is the father of cell?
Ans. The father of modern cell biology is George Emil Palade (1912-2008).
Q2. Who discovered cell first?
Ans. Robert Hooke
Q3. Which cell is most important for human?
Ans. Some most important cells in the human body are nerve cells, blood cells (RBCs, WBCs, and platelets), stem cells, etc.
Q4. Which is the control unit of cell?
Ans. Nucleus
Q5. Which is the smallest cell in human body?
Ans. sperm
