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Invisible organisms called microbes are everywhere: in soil, oceans, and snow; in the food we eat and the air we breathe - even inside our bodies. But in Antony van Leeuwenhoek's time, people believed that what they could see with their own eyes was all that existed in the world. Using microscopes of his own design, Antony discovered a living world no one had seen before. How did the simple tradesman - who didn't go to college or speak English or Latin, like all the other scientists - change everyone's minds? Proving that remarkable discoveries can come from the most unexpected people and places, this eye-opening chapter book, illustrated with lively full-color art, celebrates the power of curiosity, ingenuity, and persistence. --

For his discoveries of microscopic life, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek is remembered today as one of the great geniuses of science. Using microscopes he made himself, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek peered into exciting new worlds that no one knew existed before. Beginning in the 1670s, he discovered tiny, single-celled living things that he called “little animals.” His curiosity led him to examine lake water, moldy bread, and even the plaque build-up on his own teeth! Van Leeuwenhoek was also the first to see red blood cells and bacteria.

"One and the same continuous vessel

Pasteurization, penicillin, Koch's postulates, and gene coding. These discoveries and inventions are vital yet commonplace in modern life, but were radical when first introduced to the public and academia. In this book, the life and times of leading pioneers in microbiology are discussed in vivid detail, focusing on the background of each discovery and the process in which they were developed — sometimes by accident or sheer providence.