Intro to the Cell
Clues/Questions
Notes
 A cell is the smallest unit of matter that can carry on all the processes of
life.

Every living thing is made of 1 or more cells.

The discovery of cells was made possible by the development of the
microscope.

1665- Robert Hooke used a microscope to examine a thin slice of cork
(bark of a cork tree).

1673- Anton van Leeuwenhoek was the first person to observe living
cells (pond water).

After ~150 years scientists began to organize Hooke’s and van
Leeuwenhoek’s observations into a unified theory.

Cell Theory:

-
all living things are composed of 1 or more cells
-
cells are the basic units of structure and function in an organisms
-
cells come only from the reproduction of existing cells
Early evidence for the cell theory was provided by 3 scientists:
-
Matthias Schleidon (all plants are composed of cells)
-
Theodor Schwann (all animals are composed of cells)
-
Rudolf Virchow (cells only come from other cells)
New Vocabulary:
Cell
Hooke
van Leeuwenhoek
Cell Theory
Schleidon
Schwann
Virchow
CA Content Standard: Biology
1. The fundamental life processes of plants and animals depend on a variety of chemical reactions that occur in
specialized areas of the organism’s cells.
 C. Goddard-May