The father of microbiology, van Leeuwenhoek laid the foundations of plant anatomy and became an expert on animal reproduction. He discovered blood cells and microscopic nematodes, and studied the structure of wood and crystals. He also made over 500 microscopes to view specific objects.
Leeuwenhoek was credited with the discovery of bacteria in 1676.
In 1674 he looked at the water from a lake near Delft and was surprised to see tiny microscopic unicellular pond-water organisms which he called animalcules (1676).
Leeuwenhoek first observed bacteria in the year 1676, and called them 'animalcules' (from Latin 'animalculum' meaning tiny animal)
Leeuwenhoek used single-lens microscopes, which he made, to make the first observations of bacteria and protozoa. .
Animalcule ('little animal', from Latin animal + the diminutive suffix -culum) is an old term for a microscopic organisms that included bacteria, protozoans, and very small animals.Paramecium, termed slipper animalcules.
Leeuwenhoek is universally acknowledged as the father of microbiology. He discovered both protists and bacteria [1]. More than being the first to see this unimagined world of 'animalcules', he was the first even to think of looking—certainly, the first with the power to see.
In 1678, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek reported that he had observed "little animals" -- protozoa — through a microscope. The discovery of the cell was made possible by the invention of the microscope, which was made possible by improved lens-grinding techniques.
He really deserves the name 'Father of Microbiology' due to his many groundbreaking observations and his efforts on building microscopes.
Leeuwenhoek's discovery was important because it changed the emphasis of scientific observations from big things to small things. He attracted attention to such tiny things as bacteria, microbes, and cells.
The unified cell theory states that: all living things are composed of one or more cells; the cell is the basic unit of life; and new cells arise from existing cells.
The smallest bacteria is Mycoplasma genitalium, which has a diameter of 200–300 nm. While the largest/longest bacterium is Thiomargarita namibiensis having a diameter of 100–300 micrometers(0.1–0.3millimetres)
Comments
Post a Comment