Anton von Leeuwenhoek is the greatest Scientific Revolutionary.
Leeuwenhoek is the greatest Scientific Revolutionary because: - His invention of the simple microscope was the basis of his research and discoveries
- He developed a new understanding of Reproduction, one that was reasonable in his time
- He helped define the classification of what a Protist is
His creation of the first simple microscope
- Compound microscopes at the time were inefficient; they weren't very effective and can only magnify up to 20-30x. - With Leeuwenhoek's skills in grinding lens, precise eyesight and good choice of workplace lighting; he was able to build microscopes that could produce clearer results and magnify up to 200x, while still retaining the length of 3-4 inches.
- His invention of the simple microscope and his observations led to detailed illustrations of the subject matter - With his dedicated work in grinding 500 lenses and making 400 different microscopes helped him in the discovery of many living organisms – like bacteria, protozoans, spermatozoa, etc.
His Understanding of Animal Reproduction
- Using his simple microscope, he observed the structure of sperm and from that he hypothesised that the sperm contains the actual individual while the egg was just an enviroment for the individual to grow. - The diagram above illustrates his observations of the human sperm
- He viewed human reproduction – and also other forms. With the observations of so many different species, he concluded that the individual existed in the sperm only. - Debates came up whether the individual existed in the sperm (were ‘spermatists’) or existed in the ovum (‘ovists’). - He observed the difference between the sperm of rabbits (fig.1-4) and dogs (fig. 5-8) which he used in proving his point.
The Discovery of his “Animalicules”
- Collected rain water to see if habitats existed, he found “animalcules” or “little beasties”, microorganisms moving in the water of his samples - He had observed rotifers, protozoans, amoebae, and intestinal protozoans – all which had cilia (or small arms) at areas of their structure - Shared with the Royal Society of London, but had to provide testaments of his findings from ministers, medical men to justify his claims
- He helped create the classification of Protists. He discovered that these organisms had cilia, which helped them in moving around. - Because of his discoveries and records, scientists could easily recognize and follow his observations and further specify how they work
In conclusion, Anton van Leeuwenhoek was the greatest Scientific Revolutionary since his discoveries helped change the understanding of the microorganic world. Leeuwenhoek’s microscope was very important as it better provided the creator in observing and hypothesizing what occurs in the animalculelike world. His concept of reproduction challenged not only the religious dogma of how an individual is made from God, but that from a scientific viewpoint. His research on the animalcule world helped other scientists define what creatures existed from the microscopic world. They lead the scientist in a new direction towards micro-biology; till this day his diagrams can still be easily identified for further understanding of micro-organisms in the past. His findings were the beginning of microbiology – the study of microscopic organisms.
Thank You.
Anton van Leeuwenhoek is the greatest Scientific Revolutionary. He used his hand-made simple microscope to support his understanding of animal reproduction, and in distinguishing a new class of organisms - Protista. Firstly, he invented the first simple microscope - which used only one lens. In his time, compound microscopes can at most magnify up to 30x. Leeuwenhoek's experience in grinding lenses - rubbing the lens with an abrasive cloth called emery cloth - was used to create the simple microscope. It could be adjusted for better focus, control the specimen's distance and could magnify up to 200x. In his lifetime, he grinded 500 lenses and built 400 microscopes - all for observing microscopic life forms. Second, an important point when he brought up was Reproduction. According to Church, in a religious aspect offspring were seen as God's creations. On the other hand, he thought that it had more to do with the man and the woman. From observing sperm cells from numerous sources - human, dog, rabbit etc. - and fertilization between a male frog’s sperm and female frog’s egg, he hypothesized that the sperm contains the soul of the individual while the ovum acts as an environment to grow and develop. For the scientific community that was separating from the Church, this seemed plausible. The only debate between scientists was whether the individual existed in the sperm (spermatists) or whether it existed in the ovum (ovists). His idea was revolutionary to his time as this provided a new outlook of reproduction. Last, Leeuwenhoek discovered the existence of animalcules (little beasties). His observations showed micro-organisms that resided in the rain water samples. These organisms had cilia (small arms/hairs) on certain areas of their structures that helped them move. He used this to classify the different types. Some of the organisms he observes were rotifers, protozoans, amoebae, and intestinal protozoans. He shared his finds with the Royal Society of London to gain recognition. In order to justify his claims he had provided testaments of his research from ministers and medical men. His works were highly regarded for its detail and accuracy. The detailed records and illustrations he took provided a great basis for future scientists to continue his observations. This sped up the research of micro-organisms as they have already been identified. To conclude, Anton van Leeuwenhoek is the greatest Scientific Revolutionary for many reasons. He built a simple yet powerful microscope in search of the world's smallest secrets. His new perspective of reproduction opened discussions for the Scientific Community to speak of and hypothesize ideas different than the Church doctrine. His discovery of a new form of microorganisms helped the development of a classification system for his finds that were easily recognized by other scientists. Anton van Leeuwenhoek stands true as being revolutionary for considering every life form on earth, even the smallest of organisms.