Shaira's Escapade [COMPLETED]

Chapter 4

NOTE: Those sentences/words in Italic with Bold are facts about the Cell Theory Timeline.

She heard the door close behind her. She went to the door to open it and looked for him to ask some questions. But when she opened the door, she saw an old library. The old library had huge bookshelves containing thick and old books.

She walked in and looked around. There were long tables in the middle of the library with a few people. A man from the corner caught her eye. The man was reading a familiar book. She slowly went close to him while staring at the book.

The man stopped reading as Shaira approached. He looked at Shaira, confused by the way she was staring at what he was holding.

"That book seems familiar, Mister." Shaira suddenly stated. Then she whispered, "Micrographia".

The man was shocked at what he heard. "By Robert Hooke. Do you know him, young lady?"

Shaira didn't know what to say because it was her first time seeing the book of Micrographia. She couldn't believe that she could see this book in real life.

"Can I borrow that book, Mister?" Shaira politely asked.

The man handed the book to Shaira without hesitation. Shaira gladly got the book and opened it. The man explained that in the year 1665 the book was published. The man introduced himself by telling that because he worked as a wine inspector, he got interested in magnifying glasses and lenses. Robert Hooke's Micrographia inspired him to observe different substances. 

He also told Shaira that he experimented to calculate the number of microorganisms in water and examined other objects like skin, hair, and blood using the simple, handheld microscope. He also added that he studied the physical structure of ivory and discovered parasites in fleas using more powerful microscopes.

Out of nowhere, someone went to their table and said, "Mister Antoni Van Leeuwenhoek, we need to go."

"Antoni Van Leeuwenhoek?" Shaira was confused and turned her gaze to the man who came wearing a black coat with a logo, the logo of Royal Society of London.

"I apologize, young lady, but I need the book now. It seems the Royal Society needs me in their laboratory." The man stood up and lifted his hand. "Farewell, young lady. It was nice meeting you." he smiled at her and whispered the last words like he knew something.

Shaira was perplexed as to what was happening to her at the time. She did meet several of the scientists and physicists she had read about in her textbooks, "What's going on? How was I able to meet them? Am I... dreaming?"

She was about to pinch her arms trying to wake herself up, thinking that it was all a dream when the librarian went to her. The librarian only said that it was time for the library to close. So she stood up and went out from the door where she came from.

As she walked out from the library, she saw an old man selling newspapers near the entrance door of the library. She noticed that most of his newspapers were old and the print was almost fading. She grabbed the first newspaper on the top of the stand, "The Classical," the title said.

The newspaper stated that in the year of 1839, Matthias Jakob Schleiden and Theodore Schwann developed the first theory about cells. And Robert Hooke's Micrographia led to the development of classical cell theory which had three parts.

The first part states that all organisms are made of cells. While the second one says that cells are the basic units of life. These two parts were based on a conclusion made by Schleiden and Schwann in 1838, after comparing their observations of plant and animal cells.

The third and last part, which claims that cells come from preexisting cells that have multiplied, was described by Rudolf Virchow in 1858, when he stated omnis cellula e cellula meaning all cells come from cells.

She kept reading 'till she reached the last page of the newspaper. It appeared to have a sequel, so she dug through the stack of old newspapers to look for it. The vendor then asked her what she was looking for. She responded, and it turned out that she was actually looking for the most recent issue of the newspaper.

"1855: Another," was its title. She read what it said after opening it.

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