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384
Aristotle
was the first to theorize that each germ must have came from another germ. He introduced the idea that each gene has a definite parent and a similar offspring. He contributed to the idea of existing cells come from one another and that cells didn't just spontaneously generate.
(http://www.smithlifescience.com/celltheory.htm) -
Zacharias Janssen
was known for inventing the compound optical microscope with Hans. This contributed to the cell theory by making it easier and more practical to observe cells. Hans and Zacharias Janssen Cell Theory was first discovered after they developed the microscope. This helped reject spontaneous generation because scientist could observe cells in a more detailed view.(http://www.smithlifescience.com/celltheory.htm) -
Jan Baptiste van Helmont
He found the gas carbon dioxide. He also believed in spontaneous generation. He believed that if you put a rag over a pot of rice you will create mice in 21 days. This led to the belief of spontaneous generation because people back then believed in anything that a scientist or anyone at all said.
(http://www.smithlifescience.com/celltheory.htm) -
Robert Hooke
He viewed a thin cut cork and he discovered empty spaces contained walls and termed them as pores or cells. He also calculated the number of cells in a cubic inch to be approximately 1,259,712,000. Later he studied plants and came up with the idea of cells. Hooke's idea led to the rejection of spontaneous generation because then scientist studied about cells and started to document them and saw that all living cells came from other living cells.(http://www.smithlifescience.com/celltheory.htm) -
Anton Van Leeuwenhoek
While observing pond water, he discovered single-celled organisms that he called animalcules. He also was one of the first people to observe bacteria cells. His investigations helped lead to the rejection of spontaneous generation because he documented the growth, development, and reproduction of bacteria.
(http://www.smithlifescience.com/celltheory.htm) -
Lorenz Oken
He stated that "All living organisms originate from and consist of cells". He Believed in both the ideas that all living organisms have cells and that cells are formed by preexisting cells. His discovery or statement helped reject spontaneous generation because scientist then knew that cells didn't spontaneously pop out of no where and that they have parent cells.
(http://www.smithlifescience.com/celltheory.htm) -
Robert Brown
discovered the cell nucleus while looking at a plant cell. His contribution was one of the earliest detailed notes of the cell nucleus and cytoplasmic streaming. This helped with the rejection of spontaneous generation because he saw all the nucleus and where all the chromosomes where at and where mitosis happened so how cells came apart from one another to produce more cells. (http://www.smithlifescience.com/celltheory.htm) -
Theodor Schwann
He stated that all animal tissues are made of cells, wrote first two parts of cell theory. He contributed to the cell theory. This lead to the rejection of spontaneous generation and objects didn't just suddenly appear out of anywhere and that cells came from other cells.
(http://www.smithlifescience.com/celltheory.htm) -
Matthias Schleiden
He discovered that plants were made of cells. He stated that the different parts of the plants were composed of cells. He created the cell theory which states that all living things are made up of one or more cells. This lead to show that things didn't just spontaneously appear and that they come from other cells.
(http://www.smithlifescience.com/celltheory.htm) -
Albrecht Von Roelliker
He realized that sperm cells and egg cells are also cells. This helped reject spontaneous generation because it shows how the reproductive system had a sperm cell and an egg cell to reproduce and not magically appear out of thin air.
(http://www.smithlifescience.com/celltheory.htm) -
Rudolph Virchow
He published his now famous aphorism "Omnis cellula e cellula", This states that every cell stems from another cell. He suggested that all cells come from pre-existing cells. This helped reject spontaneous generation because it states that things don't just appear randomly, they come from other cells.(http://www.smithlifescience.com/celltheory.htm) -
Louis Pastaur
He contributed to the cell theory by disproving spontaneous generation. He was the only scientist to prove that cells can only form from pre-existing cells. He did this by creating an experiment that showed cells would only grow in broth if air was exposed. (http://www.smithlifescience.com/celltheory.htm)