In 1653 Robert Hooke used a microscope to magnify a cork.

While viewing it Hooke discovered empty spaces contained by walls and called them cells. Hooke discovered the building blocks of life

In 1670 Anton Van Leewenhoek, a microscope builder, became the first person to see living cells.

In 1838 Matthias Schleiden discovered that plants were made up of cells.

In 1839 Theodor Schwann discovered that animals were made up of cells.

In 1855 Rudolph Virchow stated that every cell stems from another cell. He also stated that all diseases involve changes in normal cells. This insight led to major progress in the practice of medicine.
In 1668 Francesco Redi did an experiment to see if rotting meat turns into flies. The meat didnt turn to flies but flies turned to more flies. This experiment helped disprove the theory of spontaneous generation.

Around the 1590s Hans and Zacharias Janssen invented the first compound microscope.

In 1864 Loisis Pasteur continued Rudolph Virchows work and created an experiment that proves that cells can only form from pre-existing cells.
In 1831 Robert Brown discovered the cell nucleus.

From 1745 to 1748 John Needham showed that soup that has been exposed to air contained many micro organisms. Heedhan claimed that there was a life force that could cause spontaneous generation to occur.

The 7 Parts To The Modern Day Cell Theory 1. All living things are made up of one or more cells. 2. Cells are the basic unit of structure in all living things and carry on all of lifes processes (metabolism). 3. Cells can only be reproduced by other living cells. 4. The activity of an organism depends on the total activity of independent cells. 5. Energy flow (metabolism and biochemistry occurs within cells. All cells are basically the same in chemical composition in organisms of similar species. 6. Cells contain DNA which is found specifically in the chromosome and RNA found in the cell nucleus and cytoplasm. 7. The cell contains heredity information (DNA) which is passed on from cell to cell during cell divison.

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