General Biology 1 First Quarter - Module 1: The Cell Theory

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers the historical development, key scientists, and the three primary postulates of the Cell Theory as presented in the General Biology 1 module.

Cell Theory

One of the fundamental theories unifying all topics in Biology, stating that all living organisms are made of one or more cells, the cell is the basic structural and functional unit of life, and cells arise from pre-existing cells.

Robert Hooke

The first scientist to use the word "cells" in $1665$ to describe the "Honey-comb" or small "Boxes or bladders of air" he observed in thin sections of cork.

Matthias Schleiden

A German botanist who in $1938$ postulated that every living thing is made up of cells or the product of cells after making extensive microscopic observations of plants.

Theodor Schwann

A German physiologist who in $1939$ concluded that cells are essential components of both plants and animals and that the cell is the smallest unit of all living matter.

Rudolph Virchow

A pathologist known as the Father of Pathology who in $1958$ popularized the concept that all cells arise from cells in his essay entitled "Cellular Pathology."

Anton van Leeuwenhoek

The first person to describe cells under the microscope and referred to them as animalcules.

Cytology

The study of the structures and functions of cells, which began as a result of the work of Schleiden and Schwann.

Unicellular Organisms

Living organisms that are made up of only one cell, such as bacteria and protozoans.

Multicellular Organisms

Living organisms that are made up of more than one cell, such as animals, plants, and fungi.

omnis cellula a cellula

A Latin phrase used by Rudolph Virchow meaning "all cells arise from cells."

Cell Division

The process where one cell divides to produce two or more cells, serving as the basis of cellular reproduction and supporting the postulate that cells arise from pre-existing cells.

Animalcules

The term used by Anton van Leeuwenhoek to describe the microscopic organisms he observed under the microscope.

Levels of Organization

The chronological order of biological structures from smallest to highest: Cell, Tissue, Organ, Organ System, Organism, Population, Community, Ecosystem, and Biosphere.