1665

Events in 1665 2

• 1665 Hooke discovers the cell Micrographia: the basic unit of life revealed In 1665, Robert Hooke published Micrographia, describing his observations through a microscope. Examining a thin slice of cork, he saw tiny box-like compartments and named them cells — the first use of the word in biology. The book also contained Hooke's observations of insects, fossils, and the wave nature of light, and was the first scientific bestseller, read avidly by Samuel Pepys.
• 1665 – 1683 Van Leeuwenhoek discovers microorganisms Animalcules — the first living bacteria and protozoa seen Between 1665 and 1683, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek of Delft ground lenses of extraordinary quality and used them to discover a previously invisible world. He was the first to observe bacteria (in dental scrapings, 1683), protozoa, sperm cells, red blood cells, and the capillaries connecting arteries and veins that Harvey had predicted. He corresponded with the Royal Society for fifty years, describing over 200 different microorganisms.