Theodor Schwann

Born – 7 December 1810 AD and died – 11 January 1882 AD. He is a resident of Germany. He is called the proponent of the cell theory. He pointed out that organisms are made up of cells and new cells are formed from old cells. Discover the myelin sheath of peripheral axons and marked muscle. Identified the role of microorganisms in decomposition. He won the Copley Medal in 1845.

Charles Robert Darwin

Born-12 February 1809 AD and died-19 April 1882 AD. He is a resident of United Kingdom. He advocated the theory of natural selection. He explains the role of nature in the origin and evolution of species. Mentions the gradual changes in coral reefs. Introduced the doctrine of Pangenesis. Explains human evolution. The most discussed book in the history of biology written by him is – Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. Awards received include Fellow of the Royal Society, Copley Medal, Royal Medal and Wollaston Medal.

Karl Ernst Von Baer

Born-28 February 1792 AD and died-28 November 1876 AD. He was a Russian citizen. He is called the father of modern embryology. He founded comparative embryology. Discovered the mammalian egg and notochord. Researched ethnology and anthropology. Discovered the neural folds, described the five main sacs of the brain and the function of the extracellular membrane.

Jean Baptiste de Lamarck

Born on August 1, 1744 and died on December 18, 1829. He was a French soldier, naturalist and educator. World famous for Soft inheritance-Lamarckism. He coined the term Biology. He expressed the theory called Inheritance of Acquired characters in relation to the evolution of organisms. His world famous books are Philosophic Zoologique and Hydrogeologie.

Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek

Born-24 October 1632 AD and died-26 August 1723 AD. He is a native of the Netherlands and a Dutch scientist. He is called father of microbiology. He invented the simple microscope. First described unicellular organisms and named them animalcules. He first observed protozoa, bacteria, yeast, red blood cells, sperm, nerve cells, muscle tissue, etc. Describe the circulation of blood inside the capillaries. Describe the life cycle of insects. His book is – On the Circulation of the Blood, Latin Text of His 65th Letter to the Royal Society, Facsimile.