DEVELOPMENT OF
THE CELL THEORY
LESSON OBJECTIVE:
Enumerate the
postulates/ tenets of the
cell theory
DEVELOPMENT
THE CELL THEORY:
All living organisms are
1 composed of one or more
cells.
Cells are the smallest basic
2 units of structure and
function in living organisms
Cell Wall of
a Cork
Cell
1676
Anton van Leeuwenhoek
Dutch Businessman.
Described cells in a drop of pond
water that he called “animalcules”.
First to observe structure of red blood
cells and sperm cells
“Father of Ancient Microbiology”
LEEUWENHOEK’S
MICROSCOPE
LEEUWENHOEK’S
MICROSCOPE
1831
Robert Brown
English botanist,
discovered the
nucleus in plant
cells(orchid).
1838
Matthias Jakob
Schleiden
German botanist,
concluded the
all plant tissues
are composed of
cells.
1839
Theodor
Schwann
German zoologist,
concluded that all
animal tissues are
composed of cells.
Proposed the cell
theory
1858
Rudolph Virchow
A German biologist
Completed the cell theory by
expounding his famous conclusion
“omnis cellula e cellula” or cells
develop from pre-existing cells.
1859
LOUIS PASTEUR
Why is it important to
understand and appreciate
biologists’ contribution to
SUMMARY: 3 TYPES OF
MICROSCOPE
Microscope Magnif Resolutio Uses
cation n
Light 400x 200 nm Thickness of
Microscope human hair, size
of red blood cells,
size of a
bacterium
Scanning 500,000 x 1.5 nm 3D image of
Electron structure or
shapes.
Microscope Size of a virus
(SEM) particle, size of
DNA molecule,
size of glucose
molecule, atom
Transmission 500,000 x 0.2 nm 2D image
Electron Can view
intricate sections
EGG CELL RELEASED
FROM AN OVARY
SEM
TEM
MODERN CELL THEORY
Current Interpretation of Modern Cell Theory
Scientists, biologists, researchers and scholars, though still using the
fundamental tenets of cell theory, conclude the following on the
modern interpretation of cell theory: