Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

Antonie Philips van Leeuwenhoek <a href="/facts/Fellow_of_the_Royal_Society/cWs8TdC5">FRS</a> was a Dutch <a href="/facts/Microbiologist/cqEyJwNK">microbiologist</a> and <a href="/facts/Microscopist/GpHlElDS">microscopist</a> in the <a href="/facts/Golden_Age_of_Dutch_science_and_technology/os3XD3rX">Golden Age of Dutch science and technology</a>. A largely <a href="/facts/Self-taught/qCKsxtdc">self-taught</a> man in science, he is commonly known as "<a href="/facts/List_of_people_considered_father_or_mother_of_a_scientific_field/aJ8aBWcI">the Father of Microbiology</a>", and one of the first microscopists and microbiologists. Van Leeuwenhoek is best known for his pioneering work in microscopy and for his contributions toward the establishment of <a href="/facts/Microbiology/k7udsq81">microbiology</a> as a <a href="/facts/Scientific_discipline/tKykGyUj">scientific discipline</a>.
Raised in <a href="/facts/Delft/SRnQf7FL">Delft</a>, <a href="/facts/Dutch_Republic/PlxBXbKF">Dutch Republic</a>, Van Leeuwenhoek worked as a <a href="/facts/Draper/qXjsBCkX">draper</a> in his youth and founded his own shop in 1654. He became well-recognized in municipal politics and developed an interest in lensmaking. In the 1670s, he started to explore <a href="/facts/Microbial_life/pysJYcE2">microbial life</a> with his microscope.
Using single-lensed microscopes of his own design and make, Van Leeuwenhoek was the first to observe and to experiment with <a href="/facts/Microbe/pysJYcE2">microbes</a>, which he originally referred to as dierkens, diertgens or diertjes. He was the first to relatively determine their size. Most of the "animalcules" are now referred to as <a href="/facts/Unicellular_organism/9PQsRuHU">unicellular organisms</a>, although he observed <a href="/facts/Multicellular_organism/rk8QBF7o">multicellular organisms</a> in pond water. He was also the first to document <a href="/facts/Microscopic_scale/EHg18xvy">microscopic observations</a> of <a href="/facts/Muscle_fiber/cP7Jea3q">muscle fibers</a>, <a href="/facts/Bacteria/wC8xSCsU">bacteria</a>, <a href="/facts/Spermatozoa/sTG4GWc0">spermatozoa</a>, <a href="/facts/Red_blood_cell/Kggpq8Jh">red blood cells</a>, <a href="/facts/Crystal/e2R2mk3E">crystals</a> in <a href="/facts/Gouty_tophus/Q6lFJmXf">gouty tophi</a>, and among the first to see blood flow in <a href="/facts/Capillary/4BIzKJAe">capillaries</a>. Although Van Leeuwenhoek did not write any books, he described his discoveries in chaotic letters to the <a href="/facts/Royal_Society/KI5yXCuV">Royal Society</a>, which published many of his letters in their <a href="/facts/Philosophical_Transactions/a0l7M7RR">Philosophical Transactions</a>.

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek open-in-new

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek