The Development of the
Cell Theory
Biology 11
Prepared by: Ms. Bowie
The Development of the
Cell Theory
Biology 11
Prepared by: Ms. Bowie
The Cell Theory States:
• As written by Rudolph Virchow (1821-1902):
– All living organisms are made of one or more cells.
– Cells are the basic units of structure and function in
all organisms.
– All cells come from previously existing cells.
– The activity of an entire organism depends on the
total activity of its independent cells.
Timeline of the discoveries, thoughts and technologies that led to the development of the Cell Theory
500 BCE
300 BCE
1000
1600
1500
Ancient Times
• Ancient peoples are always on
the look-out for ways that
organisms can be used by
them.
• They pass on their
understanding orally.
• Some civilizations support
“great thinkers” – and
philosophers, but they rarely
base their thoughts on
observation or experiments.
1800
1700
1900
•Multiple Gods
•Knowledge of nature based on superstition
Timeline of the discoveries, thoughts and technologies that led to the development of the Cell Theory
500 BCE
300 BCE
1000
1600
1500
1800
1700
1900
334 B.C.E - Aristotle
• Greek philosopher,
Aristotle, begins to observe
nature.
• He classifies all known
organisms as either a Plant
or and Animal.
• He writes that living things
can arise spontaneously
from non-living matter.
•Multiple Gods (pagan)
•His thoughts held back
science for the next
1000 years, or so.
Timeline of the discoveries, thoughts and technologies that led to the development of the Cell Theory
500 BCE
1000
1600
BCE (AD) – 1500
1300C.E
Birth of Christianity 1700
(Jesus)
476 C.E – The Fall of Roman Empire
• 450 AD – 1000 AD Beginning of
the Dark Ages.
• Lots of unrest in Europe
(continuous war and disease)
• Christian religion crushes most
scientific thought that does not
come directly from the Bible
(Not a lot of Science takes
place)
• Huge advances in Math, Science
and medicine in the Islamic
world (Egypt & Babylon/Iraq)
1800
1900
Timeline of the discoveries, thoughts and technologies that led to the development of the Cell Theory
500 BCE
300 BCE
1000
1600
1500
1800
1700
1900
Timeline of the discoveries, thoughts and technologies that led to the development of the Cell Theory
500 BCE
300 BCE
1000
1600
1500
1800
1700
1900
1268 – 1st Eyeglasses
• Roger Bacon, an English
friar makes reference to a
pair of eye glasses.
• This means that glass is
being developed and used
in a way that makes it
easier to see small things.
The Renaissance – The beginning of the
change in lifestyles & knowledge in Europe
Timeline of the discoveries, thoughts and technologies that led to the development of the Cell Theory
500 BCE
1000
300 BCE
1600
1500
1800
1700
1900
1500’s
• Most European’s think that
knowledge is unchangeable
and should not be questioned.
• To find answers about nature,
they look to the original
teachings of Aristotle.
• Exception: Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was an Italian inventor,
artist, architect, and scientist.
• Da Vinci had an interest in engineering and made sketches of the
airplane, the helicopter, the parachute, the submarine, the
armored car, the ballista (a giant crossbow), rapid-fire guns, the
centrifugal pump (drain wet areas, like marshes) and much more!
Timeline of the discoveries, thoughts and technologies that led to the development of the Cell Theory
500 BCE
300 BCE
1000
1600
1500
1590 – 1st Microscope
• Zacharias Janssen, a Dutch
eyeglass maker, makes the
1st microscope by placing
two lenses on top of one
another to make extra-large
images.
1800
1700
1900
Timeline of the discoveries, thoughts and technologies that led to the development of the Cell Theory
500 BCE
1000
300 BCE
1600
1500
1800
1700
1900
1600’s
• People start to question the
origins of life.
• Many begin to suggest that life
can only come from other
forms of life rather than
through spontaneous
generation (as was suggested
by Aristotle). This only took
about 2000 years!
• William Harvey says that
maggots do not come from
the meat itself but from tiny
eggs too small to be scene.
William Harvey
English Physician
1578-1657
Timeline of the discoveries, thoughts and technologies that led to the development of the Cell Theory
500 BCE
1000
300 BCE
1600
1500
1665 – 1st Cells Seen
• Robert Hooke (1635-1703)
publishes a book that shows
illustrations of tree bark
lining as seen through a
simple compound (2 lens)
microscope.
William Harvey
English Physician
1578-1657
1800
1700
1900
Timeline of the discoveries, thoughts and technologies that led to the development of the Cell Theory
500 BCE
300 BCE
1000
1600
1500
1800
1700
1670’s – Hooke & Newton Butt Heads!!!!
• Robert Hooke writes a book
claiming knowledge from
Newton!
• Newton works hard to rid the
world of Hooke’s studies!
1900
Timeline of the discoveries, thoughts and technologies that led to the development of the Cell Theory
500 BCE
1000
300 BCE
1600
1500
1667 – Species Defined
• John Ray (1627-1705)
defines a “species” as a set
of individuals that can
reproduce their own kind.
• The beginning of the end of
spontaneous generation!
William Harvey
English Physician
1578-1657
1800
1700
1900
Timeline of the discoveries, thoughts and technologies that led to the development of the Cell Theory
500 BCE
1000
300 BCE
1600
1500
1800
1700
1668 – 1st Experiments about origins of maggots
• Francesco Redi (1626-1697)
conducts experiments to
prove that maggots do not
appear in meat if flies
cannot land on it!
William Harvey
English Physician
1578-1657
1900
Timeline of the discoveries, thoughts and technologies that led to the development of the Cell Theory
500 BCE
1000
300 BCE
1674 –
1600
1500
1st
1800
1700
Microscopic Beasties Seen!
• Anton van Leeuwenhoek
(1632-1723) reports being
able to see tiny beasties
(0.002 mm) using a simple
single-lens microscope.
William Harvey
English Physician
1578-1657
1900
The Age of Enlightenment
1650 - 1800
Timeline of the discoveries, thoughts and technologies that led to the development of the Cell Theory
500 BCE
300 BCE
1000
1600
1500
1700’s
• Microscope claimed to be
an instrument of evil when
a prominent person was
horrified by the sight of a
magnified flea!
• Scientists begin to doubt
spontaneous generation,
but the common people
still believe in it!
1800
1700
1900
Timeline of the discoveries, thoughts and technologies that led to the development of the Cell Theory
500 BCE
300 BCE
1000
1600
1500
1753 – Birth of Classification
• Carolus Linnaeus (17071778) begins to show people
the great diversity of living
things by exploring methods
of classifying them into 5
main Kingdoms.
• Again, it took about 2000
years to “correct” Aristotle’s
notion of a 2 kingdom system
of classification.
• By the way – we now have a
6 kingdom system!
1800
1700
1900
Timeline of the discoveries, thoughts and technologies that led to the development of the Cell Theory
500 BCE
300 BCE
1000
1600
1500
1800
1700
1770 – Advancement of Microscopes
• Microscopes become
sturdier and easier to use.
• Flaws in glass production
still causes images to be
blurry and have coloured
halos.
1900
Timeline of the discoveries, thoughts and technologies that led to the development of the Cell Theory
500 BCE
300 BCE
1000
1600
1500
1800’s – Support for Science Grows
• Lots of interest in science
• Public lectures are popular
• The wealthy mount
expeditions to collect new
specimens
• The HMS Investigator goes
on a 5 year voyage of
discovery. Darwin also
travels on the Beagle!
1800
1700
1900
Timeline of the discoveries, thoughts and technologies that led to the development of the Cell Theory
500 BCE
300 BCE
1000
1600
1500
1800
1700
1809 – 1st Science Texts for Students
• Jane Haldimand (1769-1858)
writes textbooks for young
people to learn about
science.
• Terms such as “cell”,
“cellular system” and
“Cellular tissue” appear in
the book.
1900
Timeline of the discoveries, thoughts and technologies that led to the development of the Cell Theory
500 BCE
300 BCE
1000
1600
1500
1820’s – Better Glass = Better Lens
• Microscope quality improves
with the production of
better glass.
• Many English companies
compete to produce the
best microscope.
1800
1700
1900
Timeline of the discoveries, thoughts and technologies that led to the development of the Cell Theory
500 BCE
300 BCE
1000
1600
1500
1825 – Book “Cells from Cells”
• Francois Vincent Raspail
(1794-1878) wrote a book
called (translated from Latin)
“Every cell is derived from a
preexisting cell”.
• This again puts to rest the
idea of spontaneous
generation.
1800
1700
1900
Timeline of the discoveries, thoughts and technologies that led to the development of the Cell Theory
500 BCE
300 BCE
1000
1600
1500
1830 – Cells are studied
• Biology is becoming an
important science and the
body of knowledge is
growing, especially since the
improvement of
microscopes.
• Scientists begin to study the
cell extensively!
1800
1700
1900
Timeline of the discoveries, thoughts and technologies that led to the development of the Cell Theory
500 BCE
300 BCE
1000
1600
1500
1831 – Nucleus of Cell Found
• Robert Brown (1773-1858) is
the 1st to consider the
nucleus as a regular part of a
living cell.
• The nucleus is still hard to
see though without the
invention of the electric light
for his microscope.
1800
1700
1900
Timeline of the discoveries, thoughts and technologies that led to the development of the Cell Theory
500 BCE
300 BCE
1000
1600
1500
1838 – Plant cells!
• Matthias Jacob Schleiden
(1804-1881) makes the claim
“All plants are made of cells”.
• Cells are alive!
1800
1700
1900
Timeline of the discoveries, thoughts and technologies that led to the development of the Cell Theory
500 BCE
300 BCE
1000
1600
1500
1839 – Animal cells!
• Theodor Schwann (18101882) makes the claim “All
animals are made of cells”.
• “All living things are made of
cells”
• Cells are the basic building
blocks of life!
1800
1700
1900
Timeline of the discoveries, thoughts and technologies that led to the development of the Cell Theory
500 BCE
1000
300 BCE
1600
1500
1845 – Cell Basic Unit of Life
• Alexander Carl Heinrich
Braun (1805-1877) makes
the claim:
“The cell is the basic
unit of life”.
• Cells are made of
protoplasm enveloped
by a flexible membrane.
1800
1700
1900
Timeline of the discoveries, thoughts and technologies that led to the development of the Cell Theory
500 BCE
300 BCE
1000
1600
1500
1850’s
• Biological knowledge
advances, especially in the
areas of medicine, botany
and zoology!
1800
1700
1900
Timeline of the discoveries, thoughts and technologies that led to the development of the Cell Theory
500 BCE
300 BCE
1000
1600
1500
1856 – Staining technique developed
• 18 year old, William Henry
Perkin (1838-1907) develops
a new purple dye for staining
cell parts making it easier to
see cell parts with a
microscope.
1800
1700
1900
Timeline of the discoveries, thoughts and technologies that led to the development of the Cell Theory
500 BCE
300 BCE
1000
1600
1500
1858 – Article on Evolution
• Charles Darwin (1809-1882)
& Alfred Wallace (18231913) read their article on
“Tendency of species to form
variations”.
1800
1700
1900
Timeline of the discoveries, thoughts and technologies that led to the development of the Cell Theory
500 BCE
300 BCE
1000
1600
1500
1858 – Cell Theory Outlined
• Rudolph Virchow (18211902) develops his Cell
Theory that is still largely
accepted today.
1800
1700
1900
Timeline of the discoveries, thoughts and technologies that led to the development of the Cell Theory
500 BCE
300 BCE
1000
1600
1500
1800
1700
1900
1860’s – The end of the “Spontaneous Generation” debate
• Louis Pasteur (1822-1895)
conducts a series of
experiments that once and
for all put to rest the idea of
spontaneous generation and
concluding that living
organisms do not arise from
non-living matter.
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/hsw/9699-cells-and-genetics-cell-theory-video.htm
Let’s see a recap of this info:
• http://www.youtube.com/w
atch?v=4OpBylwH9DU