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| Bacillus megaterium |
The first drawings of bacteria were done by Antonie van Leeuwenhoek in 1676. Leeuwenhoek was what we would call today an optometrist. He made the lenses for peoples' glasses. As he experimented with ways to increase magnification, he developed the earliest form of a microscope, which looked rather like a glorified magnifying glass.
When he discovered the power of this microscope, he began looking at everything he could. Eventually, he had the idea to scrape plaque off people's teeth and examine it under the lens. That is when he saw microscopic little creatures and drew these images.
His drawings are detailed and accurate enough that scientists today can say with significant confidence which bacteria he observed. His discovery of microbial life earned him the title of "Father of Microbiology".
I think Leeuwenhoek's story is highly characteristic of the Enlightenment Era. With this sense of individualism from the Renaissance and the thrill of discovery from the voyages, amateurs everywhere were making monumental discoveries like this.
Image Credit: Courtney Hilton
I like your connection from the renaissance to the enlightenment. The individualism from the renaissance definitely inspired scientists to jump forward. This individualism sticks with us today. We all want to achieve and accomplish something based on our individual desire to make something of ourselves.
ReplyDeleteThis part of history is so exciting to me, because my job and my studies and most of what I love about life were made possible by things discovered in this time. Without Leeuwenhoek, I would never have discovered microbiology myself, which I love so much. It's just crazy how it all funnels through this one period of time.
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