The Cell Theory The Cell The basic unit

The Cell Theory

The Cell • The basic unit of structure and function of living things. – There are two main types of cells. – There are two main types of organisms based on number of cells.

Prokaryote • Cells that do not have a nucleus • No membrane-bound organelles

Eukaryote • Cells that have a nucleus surrounded by a nuclear membrane

Unicellular • Organism composed of one cell

Multicellular • Organism composed of many cells

vocabulary word! • spontaneous generation – an old theory that proposed living things could come from nonliving matter.

vocabulary word! • the cell theory – describes the basic characteristics of all cells.

The Cell Theory 1. All organisms are made of cells. 2. Cells are the basic units of structure and function for all living things. 3. All cells come from other cells.

Using the microscope, many scientists were able to come together and agree upon the parts of the cell theory. As new and more powerful microscopes are created, we learn even more about cells.

Important Scientists • How do we know about cells? The microscope had to be invented • Many important scientists aided in the discovery of the cell and the formulation of the cell theory.

Zacharias Janssen 1580 -1638 • Dutch scientist • Built a compound microscope with his father in 1595.

Anton Von Leeuwenhoek 1632 -1723 • Dutch scientist that made the first simple microscope. • Discovered bacteria.

Robert Hooke 1635 -1703 • Came up with the word "cell" after studying cork under the microscope. • Wrote Micrographia.

Robert Remak 1815 -1865 • Suggested that spontaneous generation was false.

Matthias Schleiden 1804 -1881 • German botanist who concluded that all plants are made of cells.

Theodor Schwann 1810 -1882 • German physiologist that concluded all animals are made of cells. • Proposed that the cell was the smallest functioning unit of life.

Rudolf Virchow 1821 -1902 • German histologist that concluded all cells come from other cells. • Helped disprove Spontaneous Generation.