Lesson 1.1 Cell Theory

CELL THEORY
ROWENA FERRIOL-PANOL
General Biology 1 Teacher
4 Pics 0ne Word
4 Pics One Word

Objectives
1. To identify the postulates of the cell theory
2. To recognize the proponents of the cell theory
3. To appreciate the contributions of Biologists
involved in the study
Cell Theory
Life is both wonderful and majestic. Yet for
all its majesty, all organisms are composed of the
fundamental unit of life, the cell. Cell is the
simplest unit of matter that is alive. From the
unicellular bacteria to multicellular animals, cell is
one the basic organizational principles of Biology.
What is a cell?
Cells are the basic unit of life. In the
modern world, they are the smallest known
world that performs all of life’s functions. All
living organisms are either single cells, or are
multicellular organisms composed of many
cells working together.
Cell Theory
A postulated and widely accepted hypothesis of how most
life on Earth operates is known as the “cell theory.” The
hypothesis states that cells comprise all organisms.
Organs, tissues, and organisms are made up of groups of
cells. These are the fundamental assumptions of cell
theory.
Cell Theory
It has three main parts:
1. All living things are made up of cells.

2. Cells are the basic building blocks of life.
3. All cells come from preexisting cells created through the process of
cell division.
Cell Theory
As science evolved, three more components were added to the theory. Some
biology classes don’t require you to know these parts of the cell theory because they
weren’t part of the original definition, but it’s still useful to be aware of them:
4. Energy flow occurs within cells.

5. Hereditary information is passed from cell to cell.
6. All cells have the same basic chemical composition.
Cell Theory
So what does the cell theory actually mean?
Let’s break it down. The first part of the cell theory states that all living
things are made up of cells. Anything that’s alive, from bacteria to
plants to humans, is composed of cells. And what are cells? The
literal definition is a cell is a group of organelles surrounded by a thin
membrane.
Cell Theory
The cell theory definition states that cells are the building
blocks of life. Cells both make up all living things and run the
processes needed for life. Your hair, skin, organs, etc. are all made up
of cells. In fact, each person is estimated to be made up of nearly 40
trillion cells! Each part of a cell has a different function, and your cells
are responsible for taking in nutrients, turning nutrients into energy,
removing waste, and more.
Basically, everything your body does, it does because cells are

directing the action!
Cell Theory
The third part of the cell theory definition states that all cells
come from preexisting cells. This means that cells don’t just appear
out of thin air (known as “spontaneous generation”). New cells are
always made from current cells. This means that all current life on the
planet is descended from the very first cells, which first made an
appearance on Earth roughly 3.5 billion years ago. Cells have been
replicating themselves continuously ever since.
spontaneous generation: the possibility of life forms being able to
emerge from non-living things.
(sudden emergence of organisms such as rats, flies and maggots within rotting meat and
other decomposable items.)
Cell Theory
And what does the newer part of the cell theory state?
Part four refers to the fact that, in all living cells, energy is
continuously transformed from one type to another. Examples of
these processes include photosynthesis (where plant cells convert
light energy into chemical energy) and cellular respiration (where both
plant and animal cells convert glucose into energy). Part five refers to
DNA and the fact it is passed from parent cell to child cell. Finally,
part six of the cell theory tells us that all cells are made up of the same
chemicals: water, inorganic ions, and organic molecules.
The History of the Cell Theory
The cell theory and ideas about cells and

living things evolved over several
centuries.
✓ Here are the key dates for the cell

theory.
Robert Hooke
He discovered cell in 1665, which may be found
to be described in his book Micrographia. He
gave 60 observations thoroughly of varied
objects under a rough, light microscope. A very
thin slices of bottle cork was used for
observation. Hooke discovered a large number of
little pores that he named “cells”. This came
from the Latin word cella, meaning “a small
room” like where monks lived in and also
cellulae, which implies the six-sided cell of a
honeycomb.
Francesco Redi
In 1668, disproves spontaneous generation
by showing maggots will only grow on
uncovered meat, not meat enclosed in a
jar. His work later contributes to part three
of the cell theory.
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek: 1670s
A Dutch scientist, begins his work developing better
microscopes that allow scientists to see cells and the
organelles they contain more clearly. His most significant
work occurred in the 1670s, particularly around 1674.
He saw these cells soon after Hooke did. He made use
of a microscope containing improved lenses that
would magnify objects almost 300-fold, or 270x.
Under the microscope, Leeuwenhoek found motile
objects. During a letter to The Royal Society, he stated
that motility could be a quality of life, therefore, these
motile objects were living organisms. Leeuwenhoek
named these “Animalcules,” including protozoa and
other unicellular organisms, like bacteria.
German scientists Matthias Schleiden,
1838 and Theodor Schwann, 1839: Matthias
describe the first two parts of the cell Schleiden
theory.
Schleiden stated that all plants are

made up of cells, while Schwann stated
all animals are made up of cells.
Theodor
Schleiden and Schwann are generally Schwann
credited as the developers of cell theory.
Rudolf Virchow, 1855:
Full name: Rudolf Ludwig Carl Virchow

Known For: German physician known as the
“father of pathology.”
Another German scientist, describes the third
part of cell theory, that all cells come from
existing cells.
In 1855, he published his famous saying, omnis
cellula e cellula (“Every cell comes from another
cell”). Although Virchow was not the first to come up
with this idea, it gathered much more recognition
thanks to Virchow’s publication.
How Is the Cell
Theory Important
for Biology?
How Is the Cell Theory Important for Biology?
It’s one of the fundamental principles of biology, and it’s
so important that it has become information many of us
take for granted.
Knowing that all living things are made up of cells allows us to
understand how organisms are created, grow, and die. That information helps
us understand how new life is created, why organisms take the form they do,
how cancer spreads, how diseases can be managed, and more. Cells even
help us understand fundamental issues such as life and death: an organism
whose cells are living is considered alive, while one whose cells are dead is
considered dead. The cell theory fundamentally changed how we look at life.
“From the microscopic to the magnificent,
all life begins with the cell.”
THANK YOU!
END

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CELL THEORY

4 Pics One Word

1. All living things are made up of cells.

4. Energy flow occurs within cells.

Basically, everything your body does, it does because cells are

The cell theory and ideas about cells and

✓ Here are the key dates for the cell

Schleiden stated that all plants are

Full name: Rudolf Ludwig Carl Virchow

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