Anton van Leeuwenhoek

Anton van Leeuwenhoek was a 17th-century Dutch scientist often referred to as the "father of microbiology." He was the first to create powerful microscopes and used them to observe tiny organisms in water, human plaque, and other substances, which he called "animalcules." His meticulous observations laid the groundwork for microbiology and expanded our understanding of the microscopic world. Leeuwenhoek's findings were groundbreaking, as they revealed a previously unseen realm of life, and his work contributed significantly to the acceptance of the idea that microorganisms existed and influenced health and disease.