Discoveries
Van Leeuwenhoek made more than 500 optical lenses. He also created at least 25 microscopes, of differing types, of which only nine survive. His microscopes were made of silver or copper frames, holding hand-made lenses. Those that have survived are capable of magnification up to 275 times. It is suspected that Van Leeuwenhoek possessed some microscopes that could magnify up to 500 times. Although he has been widely regarded as a dilettante or amateur, his scientific research was of remarkably high quality.
Van Leeuwenhoek's main discoveries are:
- the infusoria (protists in modern zoological classification), in 1674
- the bacteria, (e.g., large Selenomonads from the human mouth), in 1676
- the vacuole of the cell.
- the spermatozoa in 1677. Van Leeuwenhoek had troubles with Dutch theologists about his practice.
- the banded pattern of muscular fibers, in 1682.
In 1687 he reported his research on the coffee bean. He roasted the bean, cut it into slices and saw a spongeous interior. The bean was pressed, and an oil appeared. He boiled the coffee with rain water twice, set it aside (and probably drank it slowly).
He was visited by Leibniz, William III of Orange and his wife, the Amsterdam burgemeester (the mayor) Johan Huydecoper, the latter very interested in collecting and growing plants for the Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam and all gazed at the tiny creatures. Nicolaes Witsen sent him a map of Tartaria and a mineral found near the origin of the river Amur. In 1698 Van Leeuwenhoek was invited in the boat of tsar Peter the Great. On the occasion Van Leeuwenhoek presented the tsar an "eel-viewer", so Peter could study the blood circulation, whenever he wanted.
Like Robert Boyle and Nicolaas Hartsoeker, Van Leeuwenhoek was interested in the dried cochineal, trying to find out if the dye came from a berry or an insect.
Read more about this topic: Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek
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