What does the phrase omnis cellula e cellula mean?

The phrase omnis cellula e cellula translates to "every cell is derived from a [preexisting] cell" or "all cells come from cells".12

While this aphorism is famously associated with the German pathologist and statesman Rudolf Virchow, it is important to note that the idea was not original to him, nor was the phrase itself coined by him. The concept had been previously explored by researchers such as Robert Remak, and the specific aphorism was actually coined by François Vincent Raspail in 1825.1

Virchow’s significant contribution was integrating this principle into a comprehensive system of cellular pathology, which he presented in his 1858 lectures. By establishing that cells originate from preexisting cells rather than from amorphous material, he fundamentally transformed biological and medical thought.1