GREAT SCIENTISTS OF WORLD ANTONIE -VAN LEEUWENHOEK

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)

 

 

 

Anton Van Leeuwenhoek's single most important discovery was the existence of single-cell organisms. While using a microscope to examine pond water in 1674, he observed dozens of protists, which he called 'animalcules,' as well as spirogyra, or green algae.Jan 30, 2016.

 He  was the   first acknowledged microscopist and microbiologist Microscopic discovery of microorganisms (animalcule)

He made his mark on the history of biology by creating lenses powerful enough to observe what no person had before: red blood cells, sperm cells, protozoa, and bacteria. He exhibited an exceptional curiosity, which drove him to probe his family, his friends, and his own body in pursuit of the tiny but incredibly important world of single-celled life.

 

 Although van Leeuwenhoek did not write any books, his discoveries came to light through correspondence with the Royal Society, which published his letters.

 

 He suffered from a rare disease, an uncontrolled movement of the midriff, which now is named van Leeuwenhoek's disease. He died at the age of 90, on 26 August 1723, and was buried four days later in the Oude Kerk in Delft.

 

 VAN  LEEUWENHOEK

 

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