A scientific theory is a well-substantiated explanation of some
aspect of the natural world, based on a body of facts that have
been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experiment.
Such fact-supported theories are not “guesses” but reliable
accounts of the real world.
Two key attributes of a scientific theory are (1) consistency with
a vast amount of known data and (2) the ability to make many
correct predictions.
The cell theory states that All living organisms are composed of one or more cells. Cells
are the smallest units of life. New cells come only from pre-existing cells by cell division. This is
an example of a scientific theory because out of all the data we have and all of the technology we
have access to, cells are smallest unit of life and that is undisputed. Also, we have the ability to
make many correct predictions with this theory such as cells can reproduce by cell division and
only cell division. And since cell division is the one and only way that cells are able to
reproduce, we know that all cells come from cell division. The Cell theory is credited to both
German physiologist Theodor Schwann and German Botanist Matthias Schleiden. Schleiden
studied plant material under the microscope and was struck by the presence of many similar-
looking compartments, each which had a dark area. Little did he know, these dark area he was
seeing would be known as the Nucleus. He speculated that cells are living entities and that plants
are made of cells. This thought gave birth to the first of three rules. When Schleiden and
Schwann were having dinner one night Schwann admitted to seeing the dark spots in cell like
compartments in animal tissue. This led to the discovery of the second rule. Decades after the
foundation of the Cell theory was laid by these two German pioneers, another German Biologist