CELL BIOLOGY - 1

Cell biology on and before the classic era.

Cell biology is the study of the structure and functions of the cells.It is also known as cytology.It started as an independent branch of biology in 1893, when Hertwig made a clear distinction between cytology and histology. Schwann is known as the father of cell biology as he was the foremost to elaborate on the morphology and physiology of  the cell for the first time.

History of cell biology before 19th century.

YEAR	NAME	CONTRIBUTION
1658	Jan Swammer Dam	1st observed red blood cells in frogs
1665	Robert Hooke	Observed dead cells with cell walls in Quercus (Spanish Oak) bark
1723	Leeuwenhoek	Studied spermatozoa, protozoa,etc., under self constructed microscopes

History of cell biology in 19th century.

In the 19th century(1800-1900), considerable discoveries were made in cytology. This period is described as the Classical period. During this period, almost all the cell organelle were discovered. The 19th century witnessed the folllowing major milestones in the field of cytology:

• Formulation of cell theory
• Formulation of protoplasm theory
• Discovery of cell division
• Discovery of nucleus
• 
  Discovery of protoplasm
  
• Discovery of chromosomes
• Discovery of plastids
• Discovery of Golgi apparatus
• Discovery of spindle fibres
• Discovery of nucleic acids
• Discovery of centriole
• Discovery of giant chromosomes
• Discovery of the role of nucleus in heridity
• Discovery of ergastoplasm
• Discovery of mitochondria
• Proposal of germ plasm theory

CYTOLOGY IN THE  CLASSIC ERA
YEAR	NAME	CONTRIBUTION
1808	MIRABEL	Stated that plants have membranous cellular tissues
1824	DUTROCHET	Stated that all plants and animals are made of cells
1824	PREVOST & DUMAS	Described cell division by studying cleavage in frog’s egg
1826	TURPIN	Reported occurrence of cell division
1828	BROWN	Described Brownian motion in cytoplasm
1830	AMICI	Described fertilization in plants
1831	ROBERT BROWN	Reported nucleus in plant cells
1832	DUMORTIER	Studied cell division in algae
1835	FELIX DUJARDIN	Described protoplasm as “sarcode”
1835	VON MOHL	Described cell division in animals
1838	SCHLEIDEN	Described nucleolus and formulated cell theory
1839	SCHWANN	Applied cell theory to animals
1840	PURKINJE	Named the cell contents as protoplasm
1845	DONNE	Studied spermatozoa under photomicroscopy for the 1st time
1846	HUGO VON MOHL	Used the term “protoplasm”
1848	HOFMEISTER	Drew chromosome of pollen of Transcendentia and described nuclear divisions in stamen
1855	VIRCHOW	Stated that all cells arise from pre-existing cells
1861	SCHULIZE	Proposed “protoplasm theory”
1863	WALDEYER	Used haematoxylin stains for tissues and described chromosome structure
1866	HAECKEL	Named “plastids”
1867	George	Observed golgi apparatus
1870	His	Developed microtomy
1870	Fol	Described spindle and astral rays
1871	Miescher	Isolated nucleoproteins and nucleic acids from the pus cells
1876	Hertwig	Studied fertilization in sea urchins
1876	Hertwig	Studied fertilization in animals
1876	Pasteur	Discovered anaerobic release of energy from yeast and mold cells
1877	Abbe	Discovered oil immersion objective
1879	Fol	Observed fusion of sperm and ovum
1879	Flemming	Described chromosome splitting and discovered the term ”chromatin”
1881	Balbiani	Described giant salivary gland chromosomes during cell division
1882	Flemming	Described mitosis in animal cells and correlated nucleic acids and chromatin
1882	Pfitzner	Discovered chromomeres in chromosomes
1882	Strasburger	Discovered plant cell division, introduced the terms, “cytoplasm” & “nucleoplasm”
1883	Roux	Proposed that chromosomes contain hereditary units
1883	Van Benden	Demonstrated the reduction of chromosome count by half during gamete formation
1883	Metchnikoff	Observed and named phagocytosis in cells
1885	Hertwig & Strasburger	Proposed the role of nucleus in heredity
1886	Altmann	Studied mitochondria and their role in respiration
1886	MacMunn	Discovered cytochromes
1887	Van Benden	Discovered centriole
1888	Boveri	Described centriole
1888	Waldeyen	Introduced the term “chromosome”
1892	Weismann	Proposed “germplasm theory”
1892	Boveri	Described spermatogenesis and oogenesis in Ascaris
1897	Grainer	Named and described “ergastoplasm”
1897	Altmann & Benda	Observed the mitochondrion
`1898	Benda	Introduced the term “mitochondrion”
1898	Golgi	Described golgi complex in nerve cells of owl

Let us drench in the rich history of cytology after the classic era in our future post. Until then please stay tuned.