Antoni van leeuwenhoek brief biography

Antonie Philips van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723) was a Dutch chemist credited with developing the science of microbiology. He was a businessman who made his own revolutionary microscopes.

Antonie van leeuwenhoek contribution to cell theory

He then used this technological breakthrough to make innumerable discoveries of the world that can only be seen through microscopes. He discovered single-celled organisms, bacteria and revolutionised the way science looked at the living world.

Entirely self-taught, he was often criticised for being an amateur with no scientific pedigree. But, he shared his findings freely with the Royal Society, and his findings were widely accepted – leading to a whole new branch of science – microbiology.

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek was born in Delft, the Dutch Republic on 24 October 1632.

He was born just four days just after Johannes Vermeer – the famous artist who was also born in Delft. After a basic education, in 1648, van Leeuwenhoek became an apprentice at a draper’s shop in Amsterdam where