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What is the world's smallest living thing? In 1655, Robert Hooke discovered it-a cell. There are two types of cells-prokaryotic and eukaryotic. Prokaryotic cells consist of bacteria and archea while eukaryotic cells are all other cells like and plant and animal cells. Our bodies are made up of eukaryotic cells. Although Hooke discovered the cell, a scientist named Antoni van Leeuwenhoek discovered that cells could move. It was later discovered that not ALL cells move. Van Leeuwenhoek is also known as "the Father of Microbiology" because he is known for his work with the microscope in order to study cells more closely. With his home-made microscopes he was able to become the first person to observe single-celled organisms. Most cells cannot be seen without a microscope because they are so small. The smallest of cells is bacteria which usually needs to be viewed at 1,000x magnification just to see it. Plant and animal cells are 10x bigger than bacteria cells, so they are 10x easier to see. By understanding cells and how they work, we have learned how not only our bodies work, but also plants, animals, and even the bacteria that are all around us.
Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonie_van_Leeuwenhoek, class notes
