Question

Who is the father of microscopy and microbiology?
(a) Theophrastus
(b) Janssen
(c) Leeuwenhoek
(d) Hooker

Answer 1

He was a Dutch scientist who is known as the pioneer of microscopy in the late 17th century and became the first man to make and use a real microscope and also the discovery of the living cell was first done by him.

Complete answer:
Leeuwenhoek is known as the father of microbiology as after Robert Hooke’s discovery of the dead cells, the living cell was discovered by him. The magnifying instruments that were used back in the 1600s were predictable and much lesser advanced than what we use today. Anton van Leeuwenhoek has an extraordinary aptitude for making focal points. He also studied the development of protists which he named animalcules. Animalcules included all the living organisms which were unicellular in nature and were not visible to the naked eye. He also led to the discovery of the 500 different types of microscope. He was the first known microbiologist.

Additional information:
Leuwenhoek first observed yeast but did not consider them to be living organisms. He was the owner of the draper shop where he developed an interest in the making of the lens for studying and observing the quality of thread and making it better. He was familiar with the working of glass so along with his interest and work towards microscopy he led to the invention of the great technique of modern science. He worked on the glasses by cutting them through the small rod of soda-lime after putting it in the hot flame. Then joined the two cut curves of the glass and made a high-quality glass sphere. This glass sphere was having the highest magnification and then later helped him in the development of his microscope.
He then studied various microscopic organisms with the help of his microscope and then became one of the leading scientists in the field of microbiology. He was the first one to study the living cell. He was best known for his studies on plant anatomy and animal reproduction. He was able to observe certain motile cells and structures also with the help of his microscope.

So, the correct answer is ‘Leeuwenhoek ‘.

Note:
Robert Hooke was an English researcher who instituted the term cell for the Honeycomb structures he found in a stopper cut. Theophrastus was a Greek philosopher and was also known as the Father of Botany. He was the pioneer of the plant study and was a great plant botanist. Janssen was the Dutch spectacle maker. He was said to be the first to invent the optical telescope and the compound microscope.