PREVIOUSLY ASKED IN:
WBPSC Miscellaneous Preliminary 2019
Answer
Robert Hooke
Explanation
The English scientist Robert Hooke was the first to discover and coin the term 'cell' in 1665. While examining a thin slice of bottle cork under a primitive compound microscope he built, he observed a multitude of tiny, empty compartments that resembled a honeycomb. He named these box-like structures 'cells' (from the Latin 'cella', meaning small room). However, Hooke was actually observing the rigid cell walls of dead plant cells.
Key Points
- > Robert Hooke detailed his observations in his famous 1665 book titled 'Micrographia'.
- > The first 'living' cells (bacteria and protozoa) were discovered by Antonie van Leeuwenhoek in 1674.
- > Robert Brown, a Scottish botanist, discovered the cell Nucleus in 1831.
- > Alexander Fleming is famous for discovering Penicillin, the world's first antibiotic.
- > Louis Pasteur developed the vaccine for Rabies and invented the pasteurization process.
Additional Information
Key Discoveries in Biology
| Discovery | Discoverer | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Cell (Dead cork) | Robert Hooke | 1665 |
| Nucleus | Robert Brown | 1831 |
| Living Cell (Protozoa) | Antonie van Leeuwenhoek | 1674 |
| Penicillin | Alexander Fleming | 1928 |
| Rabies Vaccine | Louis Pasteur | 1885 |
Memory Tips
- Hooke = Hooking the Cell: Hooke discovered the outer structural cell.
- Brown = Brown Nucleus: Brown discovered the dense, dark inner nucleus.