Cell Theory
- Cells are the basic structural unit of all living organisms
- 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 came up with the term "cells" in the 1660's after examining the structure of cork
- Matthias Schleiden and Theodor Schwann were two 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 (meaning it is universally accepted)
- The cell theory includes three main ideas:
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- 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
- Although cells vary in size and shape they all
- Are surrounded by a membrane
- Contain genetic material
- Have chemical reactions occurring within the cell that are catalysed by enzymes
NOS: Deductive reasoning can be used to generate predictions from theories. Based on cell theory, a newly discovered organism can be predicted to consist of one or more cells.
- Deductive reasoning is an approach where one progresses from general ideas to hypothesis testing to specific conclusions
- This is in contrast with inductive reasoning where one starts with specific observations and then develops theories
- Cytology, the branch of biology which focuses on cell theory, can be used to demonstrate deductive reasoning
- Cell theory states that all living organisms are made of at least one cell
- We can hypothesise that any newly discovered living organisms on Earth will also be made up of at least one cell
- We can observe living organisms to test this hypothesis
Deductive reasoning flow diagram
Deductive reasoning can be used to develop specific hypothesis from existing theories