Discovery of the Cell

Cells were discovered as a direct result of the development of the first microscope.

©Wikimedia Commons 
A1.3 Micrographia written by Robert Hooke.

In 1665, a scientist by the name of Robert Hooke was interested in studying cork. He wanted to know why cork was able to float and yet was firm and compressible. He developed a handmade microscope so he could take a closer look at the structure of cork. He discovered cork was made up of tiny empty boxes or spaces he called “cells.” He did not realize these were the remains of once living cells and that these living cells were the building blocks for all organisms.


© Paul K, via flickr
A1.6 Van Leeuwenhoek’s microscope
Another scientist by the name of Antoni van Leeuwenhoek also created a handmade microscope so he could study things too small to be seen by the naked eye. His microscope was much stronger than Hooke’s, so he was able to view living cells and their movement. He called the cells he observed “animalcules.”

It was later determined that Hooke’s cells and van Leeuwenhoek’s animalcules were the same thing. Neither of these scientists realized it, but they had both just discovered what we now call cells!

© Wikimedia Commons
A1.4 Hooke’s drawing of cork.

  Did You Know?


© Wikimedia Commons
A1.5 Monk’s cell, Florence, Italy
Hooke called his discovery “cells” because the tiny structures reminded him of monk’s rooms, or “cells,” in a monastery. These rooms were small and square in shape with brick walls

  Did You Know?

Van Leeuwenhoek was so interested in what he could find by using his microscope that he took scrapings from his own teeth! He observed many different microorganisms this way.

© Wikimedia Commons
A1.7 Van Leeuwenhoek’s Animalcules

  Read This

Please read the section titled “Early Microscopes and Microscopists” on pages 243 to 244 in your Science 10 textbook. Make sure you take notes on your readings to study from later. You should focus on the scientists and what they discovered about cells. Remember, if you have any questions or you do not understand something, ask your teacher!

  Practice Questions

Complete the following practice questions to check your understanding of the concept you just learned about. Make sure you write complete answers to the practice questions in your notes. After you have checked your answers, make corrections to your responses (where necessary) to study from.

  1. Why was it important that both Hooke and van Leeuwenhoek recorded detailed accounts of their observations and that they published those observations for the public to read?

    This was important so that other scientists could continue to do experiments based off of what these two discovered. It is important to share scientific discoveries so we can continue to discover new things rather than discovering the same thing over and over again.

  1. Outline the experiments of Hooke and van Leeuwenhoek discussed in this lesson.

    Hooke looked through his handmade microscope at a piece of cork. He saw tiny blocks, which he called “cells.” Van Leeuwenhoek also used a handmade microscope, only he observed living cells. He looked at microorganisms from many different sources and observed their movements. He called them “amimalcules.”