You, I and every single organic biological life form are alive.

All of us having different functions to live,

reasons for living and our purposes in life. All of us different from each other yet at our core are the very
same, made out of one thing.

Cells, we are all made out of cells. The most basic unit building block of all life. From humans to the
animals we eat to the plants they eat and even bacteria and viruses are made up of cells. Such is life, all
organic life for that matter.

The small, tiny, very miniscule thing is what makes us up. Billions upon Trillions of cells is what we
humans are made. That is to say that animals, depending on what kind, also have more or less the
amount of cells within their bodies.

Though the origin of the first ever cell is largely debated upon though scientist say that cells came from
the ocean, single celled organism, feeding upon minerals in hydrothermal vents. But that is for another
time and even subject.

So what are cells? Well it was in the 1600s that cells were first discovered. And the one that discovered
them was the Robert Hooke. He discovered the cell when he put a cork of an oak tree under his
microscope and observed.

Robert Hooke was an English polymath active as an architect but also as a scientist. Curious onto what
he would see, he did what he did and became the first person to visualize a micro-organism. Adding one
more achievement under his belt. But it was this that would be his crowning achievement.

He would later write a book, the book ‘Micrographia’, there he wrote down his discoveries on the micro-
organisms he found. In the book he would state that he saw were like honey-comb-like, perforated and
porous, as if someone punched holes into them, he described in detail what he saw.

Cells come from the Latin word ‘cellus’, which meant “little space or room”. Which at the time was
fitting, considering with his 30x magnification Microsope, he only saw the outside of a cell, and noting
them as like little compartments. And as such dubbed them as “Cell”, he would later coin the term.
Fascinated by the discovery, another scientist would go on to discover more. Dutch scientist Antonie
Van Leeuwehooke would go on to discover more and detected other micro-organism, they were
bacteria and protozoa, though at the time he didn’t know.

An unsurprising discovery, as he was also a master microscope maker. He would make a microscope that
for a time, was the most Advance microscope ever. Capable of magnifying objects 300x its original size,
as compared to Robert Hooke’s which only had 30x the magnification.

But it was in the middle of the 1800s that cell theory would eventually be proposed to the scientific
community in micro biology. Three German Scientist by the names of; Theodore Schwann, Matthias
Jakob Schleiden and Rudolph Virhcow, were the ones credited with the proposal of Cell Theory.

Though it was mainly Theodore Schwann and Matthias Jakob Schleiden who are credited for the making
of cell theory. While Rudolph Virchow also contributed but it was already later on. And Also having
describe one of the three principles in cell theory.

And this Theory they would come to three principles. 1st is that all living organisms are made up of cells,
by Theodore Schwann. The 2nd was that cells are the basic unit of life, by Matthias Jakob Schleiden and
Rudolph Vircow. And 3rd was that all cells come from pre-existing cells, by Rudolph Virhcow.

They would come to these conclusion by comparing plant and animal cells with each other. Rudolph
Virchow even described the third principle, stating ‘omnis cellula e cellula’ meaning all cells come from
cells.

The classical cell theory unified the biology aspect of science forever as it then became the foundation
to all other studies relating to it. And also greatly enhancing our understanding on life, all life, be they
small and big to even greater heights.

I say ‘Classical’ as Cell theory also improved. Modern cell theory has added other aspects to it, making it
more modern as new discoveries were made in the last centuries as technology also improved. Giving us
more information and findings to add onto cell theory.
Modern Cell theory added new discoveries like; Multi cellular organisms depend on the total activity of
every cell. Then, energy flows occur within cells. Another is that cells contain hereditary information
passed on to the next cell (DNA).

Cell theory would be akin to a child discovering what a bike was and how to ride one. And then years
later after growing up discover from others that they can do tricks on bikes. And even later on, discover
the sports and even more tricks they can do.

Learning more and more on what to add to what’s already been known, that would be the
escence of what Classical cell theory and modern cell theory is. Like a child learning, growing
older learning more, and growing older, even more and more.