In
biology,
cell theory is a
scientific theory which describes the properties of
cells. These cells are the basic unit of structure in all organisms and also the basic unit of reproduction. With continual improvements made to
microscopes over time, magnification technology advanced enough to discover cells in the 17th century. This discovery is largely attributed to
Robert Hooke, and began the scientific study of cells, also known as
cell biology. Over a century later, many debates about cells began amongst scientists. Most of these debates involved the nature of cellular regeneration, and the idea of cells as a fundamental unit of life. Cell theory was eventually formulated in 1838. This is usually credited to
Matthias Schleiden and
Theodor Schwann. However, many other scientists like
Rudolf Virchow contributed to the theory. Cell theory has become the foundation of biology and is the most widely accepted explanation of the function of cells.