Robert Hooke was born on July 18, 1635 on the Isle of Wight. He was educated by his father who was a churchman. He entered Westminster School when he was thirteen and then attended Oxford University. He was very interested in the sciences, especially biology. He was an English physicist, mathematician, and inventor. He had many interests varying from physics and astronomy to biology and architecture. He had many inventions like the Iris diaphragm, balance spring and the barometer.  Since he was part of the Royal Society of London, he had to demonstrate new experiments every week to them. He is known as the inspirational father of modern science and was the nemesis of Isaac Newton.

In 1655, he wrote the Micrographia which was the first comprehensive illustrated book on microscopy, the study and design of microscopes. The Micrographia mentions all his research and discoveries made with microscopes and described how to make a microscope and a short focus lens.

He looked at cork cells under a microscope. He saw tiny hollow structures and described them as honeycomb shaped. They reminded him of the rooms in a monastery called cells and therefore called these structures cells. However, he only saw the cell wall because the cork cells were not alive. At that time, he believed that cells contained air since they could float on water. Hooke also observed insects, bird features and other types of cells. He was the first to discover cells.

Hooke was asked by the Royal Society of London to confirm Antony van Leeuwenhoek’s research and he did. He was able to confirm Leeuwenhoek’s observations of “animalcules” which was what Leeuwenhoek called bacteria and protozoa.

Hooke did research on other things as well. He examined fossils with a microscope. He said that dead wood could be turned into stone by water that was rich in minerals. He also discovered that many fossils were from organisms that were no longer living on the Earth. He said, “There have been many other species of creatures in former ages, of which we can find none at present; and ‘tis not unlikely also but that there may be divers new kinds now, which have not been from the beginning.” This was said before Darwin came up with his theory of Evolution and Natural Selection.

In his time, Robert Hooke was called a virtuoso because he was able to supply very important discoveries in many of the sciences. Although he had made many great achievements in his lifetime, he received no rewards. Robert Hooke passed away on March 3, 1703.