Animalcules

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek is one of the historic figures often credited with inventing (or co-inventing ) the microscope as well as founding the science of microbiology. He made powerful glass lenses that enabled him to see single-celled organisms and conduct many experiments that ultimately convinced the scientific community that tiny living things existed-even though they were not visible to the naked eye. Leeuwenhoek called these microscopic organisms "animalcules", a term that is not widely used today other than in historic context. The story of Leeuwenhoek exemplifies science in several ways. First, it reminds us that scientific advancements are made after observations are tested methodically. Second, we see that sometimes unlikely scientists, like Leeuwenhoek, discover the unexpected.