Video Transcript
Which two scientists, involved in the development of cell theory, determined that
living organisms are made up of cells? (A) Schleiden and Schwann. (B) Hooke and Van Leeuwenhoek. (C) Virchow and Hooke. (D) Virchow and Schwann.
This question asks us about scientists who contributed to cell theory. Cell theory is made up of three principles or postulates. The first is that all living things are made of at least one cell. The second is that the cell is the basic unit of life. And the third principle of cell theory is that all cells come from preexisting
cells. Let’s review the timeline and some of the scientists who contributed to cell theory
in order to answer this question correctly.
The discoveries relating to cell theory were only made possible after microscopes are
invented in the late 1500s. The first scientist to coin the word cell was Robert Hooke who lived in the
1600s. He named these after observing cork under the microscope. The cork material was filled with regular, open spaces which he called cells after
the Latin word “cellula,” which means small room.
Also in the 1600s, a scientist named Antonie van Leeuwenhoek made many important
observations in microscopic pond life using a simple microscope. Because of his contributions, he’s sometimes called the father of microbiology.
Following this, in the 1800s, Matthias Schleiden used the microscope to observe
plants and discovered that plants are made of cells. Schleiden collaborated with another scientist named Theodore Schwann who made the
same observations in animal cells. Together they concluded that all living things are made of cells.
Later in the 1800s, Rudolph Virchow proposed that all cells come from preexisting
cells.
After reviewing the different discoveries that led to cell theory, and the scientists
involved, we should be able to answer our question correctly. The two scientists that determined that living organisms are made up of cells is
given by answer choice (A) Schleiden and Schwann.
