Sciences

 Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723): A Dutch tradesman and scientist who is widely regarded as the "Father of Microbiology."  Unlike the compound microscopes of his time, which suffered from significant optical aberrations, Leeuwenhoek's microscopes were single-lensed, but he ground his own lenses with such precision that they achieved magnifications up to 270x, with remarkably clear and bright images. In 1676, he was the first to see and meticulously describe bacteria, which he called "animalcules" (little animals), from various sources, including pond water and rainwater. He was one of the first to provide an accurate description of red blood cells, contributing to the understanding of blood circulation.  In 1677, he was the first to observe and describe spermatozoa (sperm cells) from various animals, including humans. He provided early observations of blood flowing through capillaries. Joseph Lister (1827-1912): A British surgeon who is widely recognized as ...

 Pre-17th Century to Late 17th Century: For centuries, people speculated about invisible entities causing disease and decay. Girolamo Fracastoro, an Italian scholar in the mid-1500s, proposed that contagion was an infection passed by "seed-like entities." Robert Hooke (1665): Made the first recorded microscopic observation of the fruiting bodies of molds, describing what he called "cells" in plant tissues. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1670s):  called the "Father of Microbiology," Leeuwenhoek, a Dutch draper, perfected his own simple, single-lens microscopes. He was the first to accurately observe and describe a wide range of microorganisms, which he called "animalcules,".  His meticulous documentation and drawings sent to the British Royal Society provided the first concrete evidence of a microscopic world. Francesco Redi (mid-17th century): Through experiments with decaying meat, he showed that maggots did not spontaneously generate but came from ...