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What did Robert Brown discover in plant cells in 1833?
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cell
Artist's conception of a human neuron.
In 1833, the Scottish botanist Robert Brown identified the nucleus as a constant component of plant cells.1
While investigating the fertilization mechanisms of plants in the Orchidaceae and Asclepiadaceae families, Brown noted the existence of this structure and termed it the "nucleus" of the cell. Although he was not the first to observe cell nuclei, his designation of the term persisted, and his discovery was a decisive event in the development of cell theory, helping to shift the scientific understanding of cells from empty pores to complex structures containing living material.21