Anton Van Leeuwenhoek, Dutch Microbiologist

Antonie Philips van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723) was a Dutch tradesman and scientist. He is known as the Father of Microbiology, and considered to be the first microbiologist. He is best known for his work on the improvement of the microscope and for his contributions towards the establishment of microbiology. Using his handcrafted microscopes, he was the first to observe and describe single-celled organisms, which he originally referred to as animalcules, and which we now refer to as micro-organisms. Van Leeuwenhoek's main discoveries are: the infusoria (protists in modern zoological classification, in 1674) the bacteria, (large Selenomonads from the human mouth in 1676), the vacuole of the cell, the spermatozoa (1677) and the banded pattern of muscular fibers (1682). Van Leeuwenhoek ground more than 500 optical lenses and created at least 25 microscopes, of differing types, of which nine survive and are capable of magnification up to 275 times

Restrictions Only for Ireland and United Kingdom

1632 1674 1676 1677 1682 1723 Anthonie Antoni Antonie Antony Banded Fibers Handcrafted Improvement Leeuwenhoek Micro Microbiologist Microbiology Microscope Microscopist Microscopy Muscular Naturalist Nederlander Organisms Philips Spermatozoa Theunis Tradesman

Features In These Collections

> Contributors > PHR