Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (October 24, 1632 – August 26, 1723) is the first microbiologist who was born in Delft, Dutch Republic ( Holland ). He was commonly known as the Father of Microbiology. He became interested in the making of lens for microscope. He was the first to observe single-cell organisms. He used the microscopes almost for all his studies until his death in 1723.

 

The Microscope..

Leeuwenhoek's microscope were not like the one in present laboratories. The microscope had only one small lens, almost spherical, and mounted between metal plates. The method he used to make the lens is by placing the middle of a small rod of soda lime glass in a hot flame. Leeuwenhoek could pull the hot section apart to create two long whiskers of glass. Then, by reinserting the end of one whisker into the flame, he could create a very small, high-quality glass sphere. These spheres became the lenses of the microscope. Despite its difficulty to produce the lenses,  but it gave better magnification than any other microscope at that time.

 

Leeuwenhoek did not  invent the body of the microscope, as Galileo is often credited to have one around fifty years previously. Leeuwenhoek's contribution is the skill of making the lens much accurate than before. He had made more than 500 lenses and later created around 25 microscope, with silver or copper metal frames. His microscope is said to have magnification of 275 times. Some suspected that he might have microscope with 500 times of magnification power.The microscope is relatively small, with the longest is about 5cm.  

 

Leeuwenhoek's Observation and Studies..

One of the well known studies of Leeuwenhoek is about the circulation of blood in body. William Harvey made discovery of circulation of blood in 1616, but there is a problem of how blood from arteries transferred to the veins, to be returned to heart. Leeuwenhoek's work , together with Marcello Malpighi, showed that blood passed through tiny tubes ( which now we know as capillaries ). Leeuwenhoek also studied about the structure of skin, hair, muscle fibres ( banded muscles ) and bacteria. 

 

Microscopic section through one-year-old ash tree (Fraxinus) wood, drawing made by Leeuwenhoek.

He observed bacteria at first when he examined the tartar from his own teeth ( large Selenomonads ). His greatest discovery came from there, where  he observed number of 'little beasties' moving in highly amusing way. He noted that the largest among the them showed the liveliest and most action motion. This is the first observation of tiny creature which now we call as bacteria, which are so important in our lives as agents of decay and disease.