History of the Cell
Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek invented and used the first simple microscope (only 1 lens)
The Discovery of the compound light microscope has several lenses and can magnify objects up to 1000 times
Robert Hooke used a compound light microscope to study cork
He called what he saw Cells because they looked like the rooms the monks stayed in
Matthias Schleiden extended Hooke’s work, studied plants, and concluded they were made of cells.
Theodore Schwann studied animals and concluded that they were made of cells
Rudolf Virchow Determined all cells come from pre-existing cells.
All of the scientists’ work helped to develop the Cell Theory
Parts of the Cell theory:
All living things are made of cells
The Cell is the basic unit of life
If you are made of one cell you are unicellular, if you are made of more than one cell, you are multicellular
All cells come from preexisting cells
Microscopes:
We now have electron microscopes to study cells
They use a beam of electrons for much greater magnification
Scanning Electron Microscope (or SEM) can scan the surfaces of cells and see their 3-dimensional shape. can magnify 60000 times
Transmission Electron Microscope (or TEM) can study structures inside the cell. Can magnify up to 100000 times
Prokaryotic cells:
Have no nucleus (pro=before)
They have DNA but it is only a Single Ring (strand) of DNA and is in the Nucleoid Region
Most of the cell is liquid and organelles called: Cytoplasm
No internal organelles surrounded by membranes
The only organelle they do have is Ribosome
Smaller and have different proteins compared to Eukaryotic Ribosomes
Have a cell membrane, surrounded by a cell wall
It is made of a protein and carbohydrate called peptidoglycan
The cell wall is usually surrounded by a capsule or slime layer
This is why bacteria can stick to surfaces and resist being destroyed easily
Many also have pili (hair-like structures that help them stick to objects)
All cells have DNA, Cytoplasm, ribosomes, and a Cell Membrane
Viruses are NOT cells, therefore not life