Cell Theory Overview & Contributions

The smallest unit of an organism that can be considered living.

The theory that all organisms are composed of cells and that cells are the basic units of life.

A Dutch scientist who was the first to perfect the microscope and observe protozoa, bacteria, and spermatozoa, calling them "animalcules."

German scientists who studied plant and animal cells in the 19th century and proposed the Cell Theory, which initially stated that all organisms are made of cells and that cells are the basic units of life.

A German scientist who proposed the theory of "omnis cellula e cellula" meaning "all cells come from preexisting cells." This discovery led to the understanding of DNA and the flow of energy in cells.

Scientists who study cells and their structures, functions, and interactions.

The process by which cells divide and create new cells from pre-existing ones.

The process by which cells obtain energy from food molecules, like sugar, to perform their functions.

Cells are the basic structural and functional units of all living organisms.

Robert Hooke was a scientist who discovered cells in 1665.

The first cells observed were tiny compartments in thin slices of cork.

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek was the first to observe living cells using a drop of pond water under a microscope.

The cell theory states that all living cells arise from pre-existing cells.

Cells are the smallest unit of life.

The word "cell" comes from the Latin word "cella", which means "small room".

Anton van Leeuwenhoek, a Dutch scientist, was the first to observe living organisms, like bacteria and protozoa, using a microscope he had developed. He called these tiny creatures 'animalcules.'

Robert Hooke was an English scientist who observed dead cells from a piece of cork. He named these small compartments 'cells' because they reminded him of the cells in a monastery.

The cell theory states that all living organisms are made up of one or more cells and that all cells come from pre-existing cells.

The cell membrane is like a gatekeeper, controlling what enters and exits the cell. It maintains the cell's shape and protects its inner components.

The nucleus is the control center of the cell. It contains the cell's genetic material, DNA, which provides instructions for all cellular activities.

Ribosomes are responsible for protein synthesis, using the instructions from DNA to create proteins essential for the cell's functions.

The Golgi body is a packaging center, modifying and sorting proteins produced by ribosomes before they're shipped to different parts of the cell or outside the cell.

Lysosomes are powerful enzymes that break down old cell parts, waste materials, and invading bacteria. They are often nicknamed 'suicidal bags' of the cell due to their destructive power.