NextPrevious

Biology

Viruses, Bacteria, Protists, and Fungi

When were bacteria discovered?

Anton von Leeuwenhoek (1632–1723), a Dutch fabric merchant and civil servant, discovered bacteria and other microorganisms in 1674 when he looked at a drop of pond water through a glass lens. Early, single-lens instruments produced magnifications of 50–300 times real size (approximately one-third of the magnification produced by modern light microscopes). Primitive microscopes provided a perspective into the previously unknown world of small organisms, which von Leeuwenhoek called “animalcules” in a letter he wrote to the Royal Society of London. Because of these early investigations, von Leeuwenhoek is considered to be the “father of microbiology.”



Close

This is a web preview of the "The Handy Science Answer Book" app. Many features only work on your mobile device. If you like what you see, we hope you will consider buying. Get the App