Hello, kylie2110-ga!
Antony Van Leeuwenhoek discovered bacteria by observing the plaque
between his own teeth (as well as others) under a microsope (not the
most pleasant story, but a valuable discovery!)
From "Antony van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723)."
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/leeuwenhoek.html
"On September 17, 1683, Leeuwenhoek wrote to the Royal Society about
his observations on the plaque between his own teeth, "a little white
matter, which is as thick as if 'twere batter." He repeated these
observations on two ladies (probably his own wife and daughter), and
on two old men who had never cleaned their teeth in their lives.
Looking at these samples with his microscope, Leeuwenhoek reported how
in his own mouth: "I then most always saw, with great wonder, that in
the said matter there were many very little living animalcules, very
prettily a-moving. The biggest sort. . . had a very strong and swift
motion, and shot through the water (or spittle) like a pike does
through the water. The second sort. . . oft-times spun round like a
top. . . and these were far more in number." In the mouth of one of
the old men, Leeuwenhoek found "an unbelievably great company of
living animalcules, a-swimming more nimbly than any I had ever seen up
to this time. The biggest sort. . . bent their body into curves in
going forwards. . . Moreover, the other animalcules were in such
enormous numbers, that all the water. . . seemed to be alive."
*** These were among the first observations on living bacteria ever recorded.
==
From "Antonie van Leeuwenhoek."
http://www.euronet.nl/users/warnar/leeuwenhoek.html
The main discoveries of Antonie van Leeuwenhoek are: red bloodcells
(1673), infusoria (1675), spermatozoa (1677) and bacteria (1683).
"Van Leeuwenhoeks discovery of bacteria was not immediately accepted
by scientists. His letter to the Royal Society announcing the
discovery of bacteria caused such doubt at the Royal Society that he
had to enlist an English vicar, as well as jurists and doctors, to
confirm that his report was based on true observations. Robert Hooke
later repeated the experiment and was able to confirm his discoveries.
The Royal Society wrote a letter asking him if he would rent his
microscope for few days. But Leeuwenhoek did not send his ?loving?
instrument. To confirm Leeuwenhoek?s reports, the Society appointed
two scientists - Nehemiah Grew, the plant anatomist and Robert Hooke,
the microscopist. They attempted to validate Leeuwenhoek?s
observations. First time they failed, casting doubts on his report.
However, Hooke again tried using a microscope with 330 X (power of
magnification) and confirmed Leeuwenhoek?s success. Both scientists
confirmed that their observations were similar to those described in
the letters by Leeuwenhoek. Now, the Royal Society accepted
Leeuwenhoek as a scientist and declared him as the discoverer of
bacteria."
See image - Van Leeuwenhoek´s famous description of microbes in tooth
plaque (First edition, Delft in Holland, 12 September 1683, to
Francois Aston, Pag.11). Leeuwenhoek´s drawing of short rods of
bacilli and bacteria, the spheres of micrococci, and the corkscrew
spirillum.
http://www.euronet.nl/users/warnar/leeuwenhoek.html#bacteria
==
"In a letter written in 1683 he describes and illustrates five
different kinds of bacteria present in his own mouth: these can
readily be identified as a motile bacillus, Selenomonas sputigena, a
micrococcus, Leptothrix buccalis, and a spirochete. He continued to
make observations on microorganisms until 1716, and while studying
free-living protozoa, he also discovered other organisms such as
Volvox, Hydra, and rotifers."
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/redgold/printable/p_leeuwenhoek.html
=======
The date you have referenced (1674) refers to Leeuwenhoek's
observation of alga in water:
"In a letter of September 7, 1674, Leeuwenhoek described observations
on lake water, including an excellent description of the green
charophyte alga Spirogyra: "Passing just lately over this lake, . . .
and examining this water next day, I found floating therein divers
earthy particles, and some green streaks, spirally wound serpent-wise,
and orderly arranged, after the manner of the copper or tin worms,
which distillers use to cool their liquors as they distil over. The
whole circumference of each of these streaks was about the thickness
of a hair of one's head. . . all consisted of very small green
globules joined together: and there were very many small green
globules as well."
http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:Y-32PSSXMRQJ:www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/leeuwenhoek.html+Antony+Van+Leeuwenhoek+bacteria+1674&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=1
"In 1674 he began to observe bacteria and protozoa, his "very little
animalcules," which he was able to isolate from different sources,
such as rainwater, pond and well water, and the human mouth and
intestine, and he calculated their sizes."
http://www.spaceship-earth.org/Biograph/Antonvan.htm
"His unique observations on microorganisms probably began in 1674,
when he examined water from a lake near Delft. He gave the first
description of the common green alga Spirogyra but also observed
smaller organisms, which were probably free-living protozoa. Dobell
believed that van Leeuwenhoek saw Vorticella, Monas, Bodo caudatus,
and Colpidium."
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/redgold/printable/p_leeuwenhoek.html
==
I hope these references help to answer your question.
umiat
Search Strategy
Antony Van Leeuwenhoek
Antony Van Leeuwenhoek bacteria 1674
Antony Van Leeuwenhoek first discovery of bacteria |
