History of CELL: Hooke in 1665. He Examined (Under

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History of CELL

The cell was discovered by Robert


Hooke in 1665. He examined (under
a coarse, compound microscope) very
thin slices of cork and saw a multitude
of tiny pores that he remarked looked
like the walled compartments of a
honeycomb. Because of this
association, Hooke called them cells,
the name they still bear. However,
Hooke did not know their real
structure or function. Hooke's
description of these cells (which were
actually non-living cell walls) was
published in Micrographia. His cell observations gave no
indication of the nucleus and other organelles found in
most living cells.
The first man to witness a live cell under a microscope
was Anton van Leeuwenhoek (although the first man
to make a compound microscope was Zacharias
Janssen), who in 1674 described the algae Spirogyra and
named the moving organisms animalcules, meaning
"little animals". Leeuwenhoek probably also saw
bacteria. Cell theory was in contrast to the vitalism
theories proposed before the discovery of cells.
The idea that cells were separable into individual units
was proposed by Ludolph Christian Treviranus and
Johann Jacob Paul Moldenhawer. All of this finally led to
Henri Dutrochet formulating one of the fundamental
tenets of modern cell theory by declaring that "The cell
is the fundamental element of organization".
The observations of Hooke, Leeuwenhoek, Schleiden,
Schwann, Virchow, and others led to the development of
the cell theory. The cell theory is a widely accepted

explanation of the relationship between cells and living


things. The cell theory states:
All living things or organisms are made of cells.
New cells are created by old cells dividing into two.
Cells are the basic building units of life.
The cell theory holds true for all living things, no matter
how big or small, or how simple or complex. Since
according to research, cells are common to all living
things, they can provide information about all life. And
because all cells come from other cells, scientists can
study cells to learn about growth, reproduction, and all
other functions that living things perform. By learning
about cells and how they function, you can learn about
all types of living things.
Credit for developing cell theory is usually given to three
scientists: Theodor Schwann, Matthias Jakob Schleiden,
and Rudolf Virchow. In 1839, Schwann and Schleiden
suggested that cells were the basic unit of life. Their
theory accepted the first two tenets of modern cell
theory. However the cell theory of Schleiden differed
from modern cell theory in that it proposed a method of
spontaneous crystallization that he called "Free Cell
Formation". In 1858, Rudolf Virchow concluded that all
cells come from pre-existing cells, thus completing the
classical cell theory

CELL THEORY
Cell theory refers to the idea that cells are the basic unit
of structure in every living thing. Development of this
theory during the mid 17th century was made possible
by advances in microscopy. This theory is one of the
foundations of biology. The theory says that new cells
are formed from other existing cells, and that the cell is a

fundamental unit of structure, function and organization


in all living organisms.

7. Some organisms are made up of only one cell and are


known as unicellular organisms.

Classical interpretation

8. Others are multicellular, composed of a number of


cells.

1. All living organisms are made up of one or more cells.


2. Cells are the basic unit of life.

9. The activity of an organism depends on the total


activity of independent cells.

3. All cells arise from pre-existing cells. (omni cellulae e


cellula)

Exceptions

4. The cell is the unit of structure, physiology, and


organization in living things.

1. Viruses are considered alive by some, yet they are not


made up of cells. Viruses have many features of life, but
by definition of the cell theory, they are not alive.

5. The cell retains a dual existence as a distinct entity


and a building block in the construction of organisms.
Modern interpretation
The generally accepted parts of modern cell theory
include:
1. The cell is the fundamental unit of structure and
function in living organisms.

2. The first cell did not originate from a pre-existing cell.


There was no exact first cell since the definition of cell is
imprecise.
3. Mitochondria and chloroplasts have their own genetic
material, and reproduce independently from the rest of
the cell.
Types of cells

2. All cells arise from pre-existing cells by division.

Cells can be subdivided into the following subcategories:

3. Energy flow (metabolism and biochemistry) occurs


within cells.

1. Prokaryotes: Prokaryotes lack a nucleus (though they


do have circular DNA) and other membrane-bound
organelles (though they do contain ribosomes). Bacteria
and Archaea are two domains of prokaryotes.

4. Cells contain hereditary information (DNA) which is


passed from cell to cell during cell division.
5. All cells are basically the same in chemical
composition in organisms of similar species.
6. All known living things are made up of one or more
cells.

2. Eukaryotes: Eukaryotes, on the other hand, have


distinct nuclei bound by a nuclear membrane and
membrane-bound organelles (mitochondria, chloroplasts,
lysosomes, rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum,
vacuoles). In addition, they possess organized
chromosomes which store genetic material.

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