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W ho was Antonie van Leeuwenhoek?
Leeuwenhoek was born on 24 October 1632 in
the town of Delft, Netherlands. That’s where he
lived and where he eventually died at the
grand old age of 90. He was from a family of
tradesmen and had no education beyond
childhood schooling. However, his curiosity,
diligence and obsessive need for study led him
to become a pivotal scientific figure.
WHAT DID HE DO?
● Commonly known as ‘The Father of
Microbiology’ Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
discovered bacteria, blood cells and sperm cells,
along with many other microscopic discoveries.
● He made his own microscopes, which could
reach 500X instead of the usual 30X for
microscopes of the day. He was very secretive
about his methods and this meant that no one
else could see as close up as he could. This made
it hard for people to believe that his observations
were real.
● Leeuwenhoek made over 500 microscopes
(fewer than 10 have survived). His microscopes
are not like the ones we know today, instead they
are a flat brass plate with a small magnifying
hole and a sharp point to pin the subject on to.
They were also very tricky to use.
● In 1680 he was elected as part of the Royal
Society.
● His work has opened up the way for future
generations of scientists to learn more about
natural history and medicine, and to use this to
improve the world around us.