1. In 1665, Robert Hooke used a microscope to examine a thin slice of cork and saw compartments that he called "cells", which resembled monks' living quarters.
2. In 1673, Anton van Leeuwenhoek was the first to observe living organisms under a microscope.
3. In 1838 and 1839 respectively, Matthias Schleiden and Theodor Schwann concluded that all plants and animals are composed of cells.