Antony Van Leeuwenhoek - Famous Scientists | Print |


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ANTONY VAN LEEUWENHOEK
Born:
in Delft, Holland on Oct. 24, 1632
Died: 30 Dec 1691 in London, England

Antony van Leeuwenhoek learned to grind lenses, made simple microscopes, and began observing with them.

Leeuwenhoek looked at animal and plant tissues, mineral crystals and at fossils. He gave the first complete descriptions of bacteria - protozoans (which he called animalcules), spermatozoa, and striped muscle. He also observed red blood cells in his study of capillary circulation.

Links:
World of Microbes
Microscope
His Microscope
PBS
First Microbiologist

Famous Quotes:
" . . my work, which I've done for a long time, was not pursued in order to gain the praise I now enjoy..."
By accident, van Leeuwenhoek discovered microbes. His natural curiosity drove him to look at all sorts of everyday objects and substances.