Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Region I
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF ILOCOS NORTE

General Biology 1
Quarter 1 – Module1:
Postulates of the Cell Theory

MELC: Explain the postulates of the cell theory

(STEM_BIO11/12-Ia-c-1)

Prepared by:

Andy A. Dalida
Davila National High School
The following are some reminders in using this module:
1. Use the module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part of
the module. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises.
2. Don’t forget to answer WhatIKnowbefore moving on to the other activities
included in the module.
3. Read the instruction carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks and checking your
answers.
5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are through with it.
If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this module, do not
hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator. Always bear in mind that you are not
alone.

We hope that through this material, you will experience meaningful learning
and gain deep understanding of the relevant competencies. You can do it!

What I Need to Know

This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help
you master the nature of Biology. The scope of this module permits it to be used in
many different learning situations. The language used recognizes the diverse
vocabulary level of students. The lessons are arranged to follow the standard
sequence of the course. But the order in which you read them can be changed to
correspond with the textbook you are now using.

The module will talk about the Postulates of the Cell Theory

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. state the cell theory;
2. Familiarize the key points of cell theory and the individual contributions of
Hooke, Schleiden, Schwann, and Virchow.
3. Identify the contributions of different scientist in the completion of the Cell
Theory.
 What I Know

Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet of
paper.

1. A German botanist who established that all plant tissues are composed of
cells and that an embryonic plant arose from a single cell. He declared that
the cell is the basic building block of all plant matter.
a. Robert Hooke c. Matthias Scleiden
b. Robert Brown d. Theodor Schwann

2. In what year did Robert Hooke discovered the cell?

a. 1660 c. 1665
b. 1835 d. 1838

3. Who completed the cell theory?

a. Robert Brown c. Robert Hooke
b. Rudolf Virchow d. Theodor Schwann

4. When Anton Van was observing a pond water in a microscope, he noticed

small organisms moving in water and he named it as _________.
a. Organelle c. Animacules
b. Amoebla d. Paramecium

5. He first described cells in the year 1665. He cut thin slices of cork from the
bark of a tree and observed many small boxes using a simple microscope
which reminded him of cells (small rooms) in a monastery where he worked
with.
a. Robert Brown c. Robert Hooke
b. Rudolf Virchow d. Theodor Schwann
 Lesson
Postulates of the Cell Theory
1

The CELL THEORY, or cell doctrine, states that all organisms are composed
of similar units of organization, called cells. The concept was formally articulated in
1839 by Schleiden & Schwann and has remained as the foundation of modern
biology. The idea predates other great paradigms of biology including Darwin's
theory of evolution (1859), Mendel's laws of inheritance (1865), and the
establishment of comparative biochemistry (1940). Ultrastructural research and
modern molecular biology have added many tenets to the cell theory, but it remains
as the preeminent theory of biology. The Cell Theory is to Biology as the Atomic
Theory is to Physics.

What’s In

The completion of the Cell theory was made possible by different scientist
who worked individually with the help of technology like microscope. This
instrument in Biology is very important to see in depth details of a microscopic
specimen or microorganisms. The advancement of technology also brought about
new discoveries and innovations that made scientist formulate the cell theory and
led to new discoveries in the field of science.

As part our review, lets match the following information about microscope
and let’s see how much knowledge have you learned in your previous subjects.

1. Holds the objectives of the

microscope and can be rotated.
2. Scientist who invented the lenses a. Electron Microscope
of microscope. b. Galileo Galilei
3. It is used to hold the specimen in c. Revolving Nosepiece
place. d. Draw Tube
4. Type of microscope that is used to e. Robert Brown
see organelles in more than 1000x f. Stage Clip
g. Hans and Zacharias
magnification. Jansen
5. Holds the eyepiece in place.
 Note the Teachers
The teacher must consider the prerequisite skills needed in
the development of this competency including the schema or
background knowledge which may reinforce learning. This module
will help the learners bridge the gap of learning to attain mastery
of the lesson in its spiral progression.

What is New

Cells are the fundamental units of living organisms. The cell is the key to
biology because it is at this level that life truly springs.
In this lesson, you will be learning about the postulates of the cell theory,
how it started, and who are the people involved in the completion of the said
theory.

What is It

Formulation of the Cell Theory

In 1838, Theodor Schwann and Matthias Schleiden were enjoying after-
dinner coffee and talking about their studies on cells. It has been suggested that
when Schwann heard Schleiden describe plant cells with nuclei, he was struck by
the similarity of these plant cells to cells he had observed in animal tissues. The
two scientists went immediately to Schwann's lab to look at his slides. Schwann
published his book on animal and plant cells (Schwann 1839) the next year, a
treatise lacking of acknowledgments of anyone else's contribution, including that of
Schleiden (1838). He summarized his observations into three conclusions about
cells:

1. The cell is the unit of structure, physiology, and organization in living

things.
 2. The cell retains a dual existence as a distinct entity and a building block
in the construction of organisms.
3. Cells form by free-cell formation, similar to the formation of crystals
(spontaneous generation).
We know today that the first two principles are correct, but the third is
clearly wrong. The correct interpretation of cell formation by division was finally
promoted by others and formally announced in Rudolph Virchow's powerful
statement, "Omnis cellula e cellula"... "All cells only arise from pre-existing cells".

The modern principles of the Cell Theory include the following:

1. All known living things are made up of cells.
2. The cell is the structural and functional unit of all living things.
3. All cells come from pre-existing cells by division. (Spontaneous generation
does not occur).
4. Cells contain hereditary information which is passed from cell to cell
during cell division.
5. All cells are basically the same in chemical composition.
6. All energy flow (metabolism and biochemistry) of life occurs within cells.

What’s More

Activity 1.1 Let’s Dig Treasures

Direction: Hunt words related to one of the tenets of the Cell Theory by
encircling them.Use the words that you found and write it on the line provided.

C A L L O U N D A R A G O
Q W G J D H X A S E D H F
O D F G K F D R F S M G T
R S H C T K K E G O O K G
A K A E S F G E K L R L J
N A J L S J L C F U E K B
S F B L O N E T R T K J D
M F S S D J R I K I U O H
I V U W A K H O C O L I M
S C E L L S N N I N G U V
S A H P C O M P O S E D N
Activity 1.2Let’s Dig Treasures
Direction:Complete the table with corresponding data based from the
passage you will read below.

Early evidence for the cell theory was provided by German scientists. In
1838, the botanist Matthias Schleiden concluded that all plants are composed of
cells. A year later, the zoologist Theodor Schwann came to the same conclusion
about animals. In 1855, Rudolf Virchow, a physician who had been studying how
disease affects living things, reasoned that cells come only from other cells. Over
the years, modern scientists have gathered much additional evidence that strongly
supports the cell theory.

Year Scientist Discovery/Postulate

1665 1. Studied thin slices of

cork and found box-like
shape rooms and later
termed as “cells’’.

2. Anton Van Leeuwenhoek 3.

1838 Matthias Schleiden 4.

5. 6. Stated that animals are

made up of cells.

1855 7. 8.

What I have Learned

Activity 1.3Complete Me

Fill in the blanks with word/s to complete the sentences/paragraphs.

1. The unified cell theory states that

_________________________________________________,
__________________________________________, and
_______________________________________________________.
2. Robert Hooke first studied cells by looking in the microscope the thin
slice of ____________ taken from the bark of the tree. He found a room-like
structure and he called it as _____________. There are also scientists who
 worked and helped in the completion of the Cell Theory. One of them is
_________________ who worked on plant cells. ______________________ also
worked in animal cells. ______________________ completed the cell theory
and he is known for his postulate that cells arise from pre-existing cells
which lay the groundwork for cellular pathology. His work made it easier
for to diagnose diseases more accurately.

What I Can Do

Activity 1.4Performance Task

Make your own poem about the Cell Theory at home. You can use English or
Filipino as medium of your composition. You can write in free verse with a
minimum of four (4) stanzas but do not exceed 7 stanzas. Be creative! Recite your
poem and take a video of it and send it on the google classroom.

Assessment

Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a
separate sheet of paper.

1. Cell theory states:

I. All living cells must have a cell wall.
II. All living cells require glucose for survival.
III. The basic unit of life is a cell.
a. I only
b. II only
c. I and II only
d. II and III only

2. What did Schleiden and Schwann both discover individually?

a. All living things are composed of one or more cells.
b. Spontaneous generation of cells is an incorrect theory.
c. All cells have organelles.
d. All livings things engage in metabolic functions.

3. In a histology lab a scientist observes the following features under the

microscope. Which of these observations supports cell theory?
I.Cardiac cells are joined by gap junctions and contain three nuclei.
II. Mature platelet cells do not contain a nucleus, but do contain
mitochondria.
 III. Spermatogonia undergoing division
IV. The bulk of tissue samples from endocrine glands contain cells as
their main building blocks.
a. II only
b. I and III only
c. II and IV only
d. III and IV only
4. Viruses infect cells and replicate themselves by utilizing various enzymes
and cellular components of their host cell. Could you apply the same tenets
of cell theory to viral replication?
a. No, viruses do not strictly adhere to cell theory because they are not
living organisms.
b. No, viruses do not strictly adhere to cell theory because viruses do not
directly come from other viruses; they require an intermediate cell to
replicate.
c. Yes, viruses strictly adhere to cell theory because an individual virus
is a singular cellular unit.
d. Yes, viruses strictly adhere to cell theory because from one virus
directly arises another virus.
5. Which of the following is NOT a premise of cell theory?
I. All cells arise from other cells.
II. All living cells require water for survival.
III. All living things are only composed of cells.
a. I only
b. II only
c. I and II only
d. II and III only

Additional Activities
 Direction:Using the data from the timeline, answers the guide questions
below.

1600 2000

1931- Janet
1665- Robert
1674- Anton van Plowe
Hooke publishes 1855- Rodulf 1970- Lynn
Leeuwenhoek demostrated
his book 1838- Matthias 1839- Theodor Virchow Margulis
observed tiny 1683- that the cell
Micrographia Schleiden Scwhann proposed that all proposed the
living organisms Leeuwenhoek membrane is a
which contains concluded that concluded that cells come from endosymbiotic
in drops of pond discovered physical
his drawings of all plants are all animals are pre-existing cells theory.
water through bacteria. structure , not an
the cells as seen made up of cells. made up of cells. completing the
his simple interface
on his first cell theory.
microscope. between two
microscope.
liquids.

Guide Questions:

1. What are the three statements that describe the cell theory?

2. When did Hooke first use the term cell, did he intend to have it apply to living
material?Explain your answer.

3. What do you think were the evidences when Virchow postulated that all new cells
arise from existing cells?

4. How did Virchow’s idea contribute to the formation of the cell theory?
 Answer Key

Pre Test What’s In Activity 1.1

1. C 1. C
2. C 2. G
3. B 3. F
4. C 4. A
5. C 5. D