BellaOnline Forums Education Biology Cell Theory - A Foundation of Biology

There's a new article up on the Biology Site: Cell Theory - A Foundation of Biology

"The first cell "discovery" is credited to Robert Hooke in 1665. Examining very thin slices of cork under a rudimentary microscope, he noticed that the cork was composed of hundreds of tiny attached structures that reminded him of the "cells" that monks of the time lived in - rather like tiny one-room apartments. The name "cell" stuck and the term is still used today."

After you've read the article come on back here to discuss it!

Cell is basically divided into the three categories as per the structure of Nucleus, 1) Prokaryotic cell. 2) Mesokaryotic cell. 3) Eukaryotic cell.

Yes Exactly, I was a biology student so I've read all these things. But it is not common for everyone so it will be interesting for others to read the article and understand it. For me reading the article was like my school day back in my memory...Aahhh!!
Thanks.

Clenbut - yes, cells are wonderfully varied and often complicated, aren't they? I've got that subject lined up for a future article, in fact. Thanks for commenting!

Kaycee - I'm glad it brings back fond memories for you! I've had some comments from various people who didn't know that once upon a time scientists believed in "spontaneous generation!" They were amazed, and I find it interesting to see how much our knowledge about things changes over time.

Ya i agree with you Deborah, Theory of Spontaneous Generation was put forward by the German scientist Francesco Redi, and he performed and experiment regarding this, he used swan neck shaped flask to prove that microorganism may develop spontaneously.

I am trying to recall that theory, but can't completely. Deborah will tell me about it in details right?

Kaycee,

"Spontaneous generation" was the belief that living things could generate, or be created, from non-living things. For example, maggots could be created from rotten meat, or flies could be created from manure.

We know now that this doesn't happen - that living things can't just suddenly be created from non-living material. But way back then they didn't have accept that. All they knew was that the rotten meat was there one day, and the maggots "just appeared" the next day (or next hour....).

When scientists started developing improved equipment and doing experiments following the scientific method, they realized that living things only came from other living things. For example, the developed "germ theory" and started to understand that there were microscopic organisms that were responsible for some of the things they saw.

The theory of Spontaneous generation was also regarded as "Theory of Abiogenesis" nut it is proved wrong, and the latest theory which gives us idea about the origin of life is "Theory of Biogenasis", that is a life can only originate from the living things.

Thanks Deborah!! Now I remember few things, The experiment went onfor many days in an "s" shaped flask by Redi.