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The Cell Theory (AQA AS Biology)
Revision Note
The Cell Theory
- Until microscopes became powerful enough to view individual cells, no-one knew for certain what living organisms were made from
- A scientist called Robert Hooke is thought to be the first person to view cells (including single-celled microorganisms) and Hooke also came up with the term "cells" to describe these newly discovered structures
- Matthias Schleiden and Theodor Schwann were two other scientists who studied animal and plant cells
- In 1837, they came up with the idea that all living organisms are made of cells
- This idea is known as ‘cell theory’
- The cell theory is a unifying concept in biology (it is universally accepted)
- The cell theory includes three main ideas:
- All living organisms are made up of one or more cells
- Cells are the basic functional unit (i.e. the basic unit of structure and organisation) in living organisms
- New cells are produced from pre-existing cells
Examiner Tip
Don’t worry about learning the name of the scientists described above or when the cell theory was first described. You just need to know the three main components of the cell theory and that the theory is accepted by all scientists!
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