CBSENEETClass 9

Who discovered the cell?

Answer

The cell was discovered by Robert Hooke in 1665 while examining a thin slice of cork under his self-made microscope.

The working

Discovery

Robert Hooke observed cork under a microscope and saw tiny box-like compartments, which he named cells.

What he saw

The cork cells were actually dead cells, so Hooke saw only the cell walls left behind.

Living cells

Anton van Leeuwenhoek later observed the first living cells, such as bacteria and protozoa, in water.

Exam point

The word cell comes from the Latin cellula, meaning a little room, as coined by Hooke.

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