In biology, cell theory is a scientific theory first formulated in the mid-nineteenth century. It has three tenets:

Question

1. Living organisms are made up of cells.
2. Cells are the basic structural/organizational unit of all organisms.
3. All cells come from pre-existing cells.
What technology had the greatest impact on the cell theory?
Responses
A AutoclaveAutoclave
B CentrifugeCentrifuge
C Compound microscopeCompound microscope
D Electron microscopeElectron microscope

Answer 1

The technology that had the greatest impact on cell theory is the C. Compound microscope.

The compound microscope allowed scientists of the mid-nineteenth century, such as Robert Hooke and Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, to observe and study cells for the first time. This enabled the formulation of cell theory, as it provided the visual evidence that living organisms are made up of cells. While electron microscopes further enhanced our understanding of cell structure at much finer resolutions, the foundational observations that led to the development of cell theory were made with compound microscopes.