What are the

characteristics of living
things?
- Brainstorm
Have we always defined life
the same way?
 Mnemonic: MR SHENG

Unit 3: Biology Science10

Science 10
Biology
A little history.

Video: History of Cell Theory

Life – where does it come from?
 Aristotle - philosopher
 Used creative thinking, philosophy and
logic to explain the appearance of
maggots on rotting meat…
 Spontaneous generation
(aka: abiogenesis)
= formation of life forms from
non-living matter

Aristotle
Life – where does it come from?
 Francesco Redi
 Challenged the theory of
spontaneous generation
through simple jar experiment.

Francesco Redi
Francesco Redi’s Experiment
• Placed meat in a jar
(a) Controlled Group: Jar left open
What did they see? Maggots “produced”
(b) Experimental Group: Jar covered with
cloth
 What did they see? No maggots

• Maggots were only

found in the jars that
were open to allow the
flies to lay their eggs.
Cell Theory
 Redi’s experiment disproved the idea of spontaneous
generation, yet scientists still believed in the theory of
spontaneous generation.
 In 1745, John Needham conducted another experiment
which proved spontaneous generation existed. (His
experiment was flawed and uncontrolled).
 It wasn’t until 1864, and a scientist by the name of Louis
Pasteur, that spontaneous generation was finally refuted.
Life – where does it come from?
 Louis Pasteur
 Subsequently challenged new theory of spontaneous
generation through “swan-necked flask” experiments

Louis
Pasteur
Pasteur’s Flasks
Pasteur was convinced
that microorganisms
were in the air.

Pasteur conducted an
experiment using meat
broth in flasks.
Variables in Pasteur’s
experiment
 Controlled: flask type, broth type, light,
temperature
 Manipulated: access of dust to flask (not
flask type!)
 Responding: ability to grow mold in broth
 This experiment fully and finally refuted
the idea of spontaneous generation.
Life – where does it come from?
 Rudolf Virchow
 Suggested theory of biogenesis.
 Determined that cells come only
from other cells
Discovering Cells and the Microscope
The cell theory explains the relationship
between cells and living things.

Development of this theory occurred largely as

a result of advancements in the field of
microscopy.
 14th Century
 Artof lens grinding is developed, and used to
fashion lenses to improve eyesight.
 Zacharias Janssen (1595)
 Invented the first compound microscope.
Robert Hooke (1665)
 Observed slices of cork using a 3-lens compound
microscope.
 First to use the term “cell.”
 Antoni van Leeuwenhoek(1675)
to see living cells in motion (“animalcule”)
 First
using a single-lens microscope
1833 – Robert Brown
 Putforth the suggestion that the granular spot seen in
cells (= nucleus) are important for cell function.
Cell Theory:
IDEA PUT FORTH BY SCHLEIDEN AND SCHWANN (1839) AND RUDOLF VIRCHOW (1859)

All living organisms are composed of cells.

They may be unicellular or multicellular.

The cell is the smallest unit of life.

Cells arise from pre-existing cells.

Unit 3: Biology Science10
Unit 3: Biology Science10
C1.2 MICROSCOPE TECHNOLOGIES

Unit 3: Biology Science10

 Light microscopes
 Earliest microscopes were simple
microscopes (essentially
magnifying glasses), and used
visible light. Therefore, they were
a type of light microscope.

 Janssen created the first

compound microscope (= two
or more lenses stacked on top of
one another).

 A compound microscope that

uses visible light to visualize
objects is referred to as a
compound light microscope.
Advantages of using LIGHT microscopes:
1. colour images instead of monochrome,
2. a larger field of view,
3. easily prepared sample material,
4. the possibility of examining living material and
observing movement.
Disadvantages of using LIGHT microscopes:
1. Smaller magnification
2. lower resolution
 Light Microscope

Elodea - Aquatic
Plant

40X 400X
The Electron Microscopes (TEM/SEM)
Uses electrons instead of light to see the image

Advantages of using ELECTRON microscopes:

Greater Resolution – the ability to distinguish

between two points on an image. Like pixels
in a digital camera.

Greater Magnification – how much bigger a

sample appears to be under the microscope
than it is in real life.
Transmission Electron Microscope.
Abbreviated T.E.M.

Electrons passed through specimen.

Focused by magnetic lenses.

Image formed on fluorescent screen similar to a TV

screen.

Image is then photographed.

Max magnification 1,000,000sx.

Resolves objects separated by 0.00002 mm, 100,000x

better than human eye.
Advantages:
- Can see the inner structure
- Highest resolution and magnification

Disadvantages:
- Cannot see living things
Scanning Electron Microscope.
Abbreviated S.E.M.
Specimen sprayed with thin coat of metal.
Electron beam scanned across surface of
specimen.
Metal emits secondary electrons.
Emitted electrons focused by magnetic lenses.
Image formed on fluorescent screen similar to
a TV screen.
Image is then photographed.
Scanning Electron Microscope
(SEM)
Advantages:
- Look at thicker larger structures
- 3-D image

Disadvantages:
- Can’t see inside
- Can’t view living things
Common Bed
Bug on a
Scanning
Electron
Microscope
(SEM)
Scanning Electron Microscope
(SEM)

Mosquito Head

200X 2000X
Scanning Electron Microscope
(SEM)

Fly Eye
Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)

Surface of
Neuron Tongue

Inside
of
Stomach
Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)

Yeast Pollen

Red Blood
Cell,
Platelet,
and
White
Blood Cell
TEM vs. SEM

Viruses
leaving a
cell
 Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope
(1960s)
 Makes it possible to study (living) specimens that are
too thick to be viewed using compound microscope
(which require thin cross sections to be prepared).
C1.3: Cell Research at the Molecular
Level
 Scanning Tunnelling Microscope (1980s)
 Even more magnifying power than an electron
microscope
 Produces 3D images of DNA
Silicon Atoms
Award Winning Microscope Videos.
Cell Research