Question

The term ‘sarcode’ for protoplasm was coined by
A. Durjardin
B. Hugo Von Mohi
C. Fontana
D. F. Meischer

Answer 1

Hint: Protoplasm is a liquid or gel-like colourless fluid that is composed of all the cell organelles, cytoplasm along with the nucleus. In Greek, the word ‘sarcode’ means ’fleshy’. Sarcodes represent the protoplasm of animals.

Complete Answer:
- The first person to witness the free living cells was Leeuwenhoek. He noticed protozoa, red blood cells, bacteria, sperm cells etc under a microscope.
- In the year 1809, evolutionist Jean Baptiste Lamarck concluded that the living beings are composed of cells.
- Huxley considered the protoplasm as the physical basis of life. It is the fundamental substance that is responsible for all the important processes of the cell. In 1772 protoplasm was first observed by Corti. Protoplasm was named sarcode by Felix Durjardin.

Therefore the correct answer is (A) Durjardin.

Additional information:
- Hugo von Mohi: he was a german botanist who used the word ‘protoplasm’ for the first time. He was the first person to discover the process of cell division under a microscope. He also studied and worked on green algae.
- Felice Fontana: he was the first person to discover nucleus when he was observing an eel cell under a light microscope. He observed a small dark circle present in the cell.
- Johannes Friedrich Miescher: he was a biologist and a physician who isolated the nucleic acids for the first time.

Note: In 1835, protoplasm was first discovered by Durjardin and he named it ‘Sarcode’ but, J.E. Purkinje coined the term ‘Protoplasm’ in the year 1839 when he was observing the sap of a plant cell.