Cell Theory
Which important generalisation about living organisms was added to the original cell theory only after Rudolf Virchow's observations on cell origin?
Select the correct option:
Solution
All new cells arise from pre-existing cells by division
Matthias Schleiden and Theodor Schwann originally proposed that all plants and animals are composed of cells and that the cell is the basic unit of life, but their statement could not explain how new cells came into being. Rudolf Virchow later extended this framework with his famous dictum 'Omnis cellula-e cellula', meaning every cell originates from a pre-existing cell through division, completing the modern cell theory described in NCERT Class 11, Chapter 8 (Cell: The Unit of Life). The option stating that every cell has a membrane-bound nucleus is incorrect because prokaryotic cells lack a true nucleus yet are fully living. The claim that every organism is unicellular is false, since multicellular organisms clearly exist. The choice about flight is biologically meaningless and unrelated to cellular organisation. A logical consistency check supports the answer: if cells could appear spontaneously, continuity of heredity would break down, so Virchow's principle of cellular continuity is essential to the theory.
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About This Question
- Subject
- biology
- Chapter
- cell structure and function
- Topic
- cell theory
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Year
- 2025
Solution
Correct Answer:
All new cells arise from pre-existing cells by division
Matthias Schleiden and Theodor Schwann originally proposed that all plants and animals are composed of cells and that the cell is the basic unit of life, but their statement could not explain how new cells came into being. Rudolf Virchow later extended this framework with his famous dictum 'Omnis cellula-e cellula', meaning every cell originates from a pre-existing cell through division, completing the modern cell theory described in NCERT Class 11, Chapter 8 (Cell: The Unit of Life). The option stating that every cell has a membrane-bound nucleus is incorrect because prokaryotic cells lack a true nucleus yet are fully living. The claim that every organism is unicellular is false, since multicellular organisms clearly exist. The choice about flight is biologically meaningless and unrelated to cellular organisation. A logical consistency check supports the answer: if cells could appear spontaneously, continuity of heredity would break down, so Virchow's principle of cellular continuity is essential to the theory.
This easy difficulty biology question is from the chapter cell structure and function, covering the topic of cell theory. It appeared in the 2025 exam.
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