Imagine trying to deal with a pandemic like COVID-19 in a world where microbes didn’t exist yet. Before the 17th century, people could only see what their eyes could see. But a Dutch cloth merchant changed everything.
His name was Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, and he lived from 1632 to 1723. Despite having no scientific training, he became the greatest lens maker of his time, discovered microscopic life forms, Today he is known as the “father of microbiology.”
Visualizing “Animals” with “Small Seers”
Leeuwenhoek opened the door to a vast world never seen before. J. Veroje/Welcome Collection, CC BY
Leeuwenhoek did not try to identify the microorganism. Instead, he tried to evaluate the quality of the thread. He How to make a lens He heated thin strands of glass to create tiny spheres, and his lenses were of such high quality that he could see things that no one else could.
This enabled him to turn his microscope (literally “beholder of small things”) to entirely new and unexpected territories, including objects, including living organisms, too small to be seen by the naked eye. First to visualize red blood cells, capillary blood flow, and sperm.
A drawing of bacteria in the human mouth, from a letter written by Leeuwenhoek in 1683. Huidan 2910, CC BY-SA
Leeuwenhoek also The first man to see bacteria The impact of this discovery on microbiology and medicine cannot be overstated, but due to his lack of formal education, he was reluctant to publish his findings until friends finally persuaded him to do so.
He writes: “Whenever I discover something remarkable, It is my duty to put my findings on paper.to inform all ingenious people.’ Guided by his curiosity and the joy of discovery, he wrote, ‘I Why do we bother so much and what is the point of it??”
When he reported that he had visualized “animacrus” (small animals) swimming in a drop of water in a pond, members of the scientific community questioned his credibility. Supported by credible religious and scientific authoritiesThey were published, and in 1680 he was invited to join the Royal Society of London, then the world’s leading scientific organization.
Leeuwenhoek was not the only microscopist in the world. Robert Hooke coined the word “cell” Hooke attempted to describe the basic units of life, publishing Micrographia, a collection of highly detailed images of insects and other organisms that became the first best-selling science book, but he did not identify bacteria.
Despite his talents as a lens maker, even Roiwenhoek was unable to see viruses, which are about one-hundredth the size of bacteria and too small to be seen by an optical microscope due to the physics of light. Can only be magnified a few thousand timesThe virus was first visualized in 1931. Invention of the electron microscopeIt can be magnified millions of times.
Image of the hepatitis virus under an electron microscope. E.H. Cook, Jr./CDC via The Associated Press
A vast world like you’ve never seen before
Leeuwenhoek and his successors explored the vastest realm of life ever known. For example, all the bacteria on Earth It is over 1,100 times heavier than a human. They are superior to humans in ways we can’t even imagine. Fossil evidence shows Bacteria were among the first life forms on EarthDating back more than 3 billion years, the planet is now home to approximately 5 nonylion (a one followed by 30 zeros) of bacteria.
Some species Bacteria cause diseaseCholera, syphilis, streptococcal pharyngitis, etc. Known as extremophilesThey can survive in temperatures above the boiling and freezing points of water, from the upper atmosphere to the deepest parts of the ocean, and the number of harmless bacterial cells that live on and in our bodies is Probably outnumbers humans.
There are more than 100 times as many viruses than bacteria, including the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19. There are more stars on Earth than there are in the universeThey too have been found everywhere, from the upper atmosphere to the deep oceans.
A visualization of human rhinovirus 14, one of many viruses that cause the common cold. For clarity, the protein spikes have been colored white. Thomas Splettstesser, CC BY-SA
Strangely enough, Viruses are probably not living organismsViruses can only reproduce by infecting the cells of other organisms, hijacking the cell’s system to make copies of themselves and sometimes killing the cell they infect.
It is important to remember that microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses do not only cause disease, but many are also essential for maintaining life. For example, Bacteria synthesize vitamin B12Without it, most organisms would not be able to make DNA.
Similarly, viruses cause diseases such as the cold, flu and COVID-19, but they also play an important role in the transfer of genes between species. Increase genetic diversity and promote evolution. today Researchers are using viruses to treat cancer and other diseases..
Since Leeuwenhoek, scientists have made great strides in their understanding of microbes, including the development of antibiotics for bacteria and vaccines for viruses, including SARS-CoV-2.
But it was Leeuwenhoek who first opened people’s eyes to the vast microscopic realm of life, and his discoveries continue to change the world today.
by Richard GundermanHe is the dean’s professor in the School of Medicine, the College of Liberal Arts, and the College of Philanthropy at Indiana University. conversation Published under a Creative Commons license. Original Article.
