Leeuwenhoek

Abstract

“Among all the marvels I have discovered in nature, these are the most marvelous of all.”So goes a quote from Anton van Leeuwenhoek referring to the animalcules he observed through the earliest of microscopes. He was looking at a drop of rainwater that had collected outside his home and had been sitting there for two days. His animalcules, of course, are microbes, but he did not know that term.A video from Journey to the Microcosmos called Leeuwenhoek: The First Master of Microscopes takes the viewer through the fascinating early days of Leeuwenhoek’s work and discoveries. Most people credit Robert Hooke as the father of the microscope, but it was actually Leeuwenhoek who provided the basis of Hooke’s work. Leeuwenhoek was known to be an avid writer, publishing many works documenting his journeys into the microcosmos.Leeuwenhoek started his career as a draper, one who sells cloth. His work with the microscope started as just a hobby. He taught himself how to grind lenses, which he then used as tools to look at those objects that could not be seen with the naked eye. His early microscopes were far better than those of his contemporaries, having images that were better magnified and clearer.While Leeuwenhoek wrote his material in his native Dutch, other scientists have done their best to translate it. One such interesting translation describes Leeuwenhoek’s analysis of his poop. He describes its consistency, but more importantly, he talks about the microbes (or animalcules) he found within it. While he had no specific names for these organisms as we do today, from the descriptions he provided, it has been possible to determine to which organisms he was referring.Many people tried to replicate Leeuwenhoek’s work, but failed. While he published a lot, he did not leave behind any documentation of his methods of building his microscopes or observing the organisms. It was not until Robert Hooke that the microorganisms Leeuwenhoek had seen were observed again. Hooke did share his methods and even demonstrated them for others, validating the observations Leeuwenhoek had made.The video shows footage that matches the narration, showing various microscopic images of the organisms Leeuwenhoek saw. The footage provides the viewer with upward of 200× magnification, showing the organisms in very high detail. These images, of course, are far better than anything Leeuwenhoek saw, but they give the viewer the general idea of what he was seeing. The narration is pleasant and informative.Leeuwenhoek: The First Master of Microscopes is appropriate for all students in grades 5 and up. It would be a great way to introduce the microscope to younger students, and diversity of life to older ones. Advanced students could use the images in the video as the basis for individual research projects, trying to find similar organisms in ponds or rainwater.