Antonie+van+Leeuwenhoek

=Antonie van Leeuwenhoek=

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek was a Dutch scientist who lived from 1632 to 1723. Commonly referred to as "The Father of Microbiology," he is most known for his work with microscopes and also for founding the field of microbiology. He was originally from Delft, and remained there for a majority of his lifetime, as he had attained quite a high status within the city itself. With his previous training in the art of lensmaking, he improved the design of the microscope and completely changed the face of science as a result.

Van Leeuwenhoek is most known for his work in the field of microbiology, but he began his career in the business of making drapes. In fact, he owned his own draper's shop in Delft, and it is said that his drapery was one of the driving forces of his research into microscopes. While running his shop, van Leeuwenhoek wanted to test the quality of the thread in his drapes, but no magnification available was good enough for him. As a result, he began to dabble in lensmaking. By tampering with glass and hot flame, he was able to create tiny spheres to serve as the lenses of his microscopes. Through these lenses, he not only made complex and detailed observations about everyday objects like moss, but also discovered the existence of single-celled organisms including bacteria. All of these discoveries were sent to the Royal Society of London in the form of letters, but never properly published until the Royal Society published van Leeuwenhoek's letters after his death.

Even though he was a microbiologist, van Leeuwenhoek had a massive effect on the country as a whole. He contributed to his field immensely, by founding it and giving it the tools to discover the tiny creatures that cover the world. This eventually led to a better way to cure diseases, which in turn brought the death rate down dramatically. His work in microscopes led to such discoveries as the cell by Robert Hooke, a feat achieved during van Leeuwenhoek's own lifetime. In terms of his overarching contributions, he helped bring the scientific revolution and its positive effects to the Netherlands, thereby helping turn it into the largely modern and advanced country we know it to be today.