Father of microbiology pasteur or leeuwenhoek

A largely self-taught man in science, he is commonly known as " the Father of Microbiology ", and one of the first microscopists and microbiologists. Raised in Delft , Dutch Republic , Van Leeuwenhoek worked as a draper in his youth and founded his own shop in He became well-recognized in municipal politics and developed an interest in lensmaking.

Where was antonie van leeuwenhoek born

In the s, he started to explore microbial life with his microscope. Using single-lensed microscopes of his own design and make, Van Leeuwenhoek was the first to observe and to experiment with microbes , which he originally referred to as dierkens , diertgens or diertjes. Most of the "animalcules" are now referred to as unicellular organisms , although he observed multicellular organisms in pond water.

He was also the first to document microscopic observations of muscle fibers , bacteria , spermatozoa , red blood cells , crystals in gouty tophi , and among the first to see blood flow in capillaries. Although Van Leeuwenhoek did not write any books, he described his discoveries in chaotic letters to the Royal Society , which published many of his letters in their Philosophical Transactions.

Antonie van leeuwenhoek microscope

On 4 November, he was baptized as Thonis. His father, Philips Antonisz van Leeuwenhoek, was a basket maker who died when Antonie was five years old. His mother, Margaretha Bel van den Berch , came from a well-to-do brewer's family. She remarried Jacob Jansz Molijn, a painter and the family moved to Warmond around Antonie had four older sisters: Margriet, Geertruyt, Neeltje, and Catharina.

He was sent to live in Benthuizen with his uncle, an attorney. At the age of 16 he became a bookkeeper's apprentice casher at a linen-draper's shop at Warmoesstraat in Amsterdam, [ 12 ] which was owned by William Davidson. Van Leeuwenhoek left there after six years. In July , Van Leeuwenhoek married Barbara de Mey in Delft, with whom he fathered one surviving daughter, Maria four other children died in infancy.