Robert Brown
A botanist who discovered the nucleus in plant cells and described Brownian motion, the random movement of particles in a fluid.
Most quoted
"I have, however, been enabled to satisfy myself that the particles or molecules of the pollen of plants, and indeed of many other organic as well as inorganic bodies, when suspended in water, are in a state of constant and rapid oscillatory motion."
— from A Brief Account of Microscopical Observations Made in the Months of June, July, and August, 1827, on the Particles Contained in the Pollen of Plants; and on the General Existence of Active Molecules in Organic and Inorganic Bodies., 1827
"This motion was such as to satisfy me, after frequently repeated observation, that it was not caused either by currents in the fluid, or by its gradual evaporation, but belonged to the particle itself."
— from A Brief Account of Microscopical Observations Made in the Months of June, July, and August, 1827, on the Particles Contained in the Pollen of Plants; and on the General Existence of Active Molecules in Organic and Inorganic Bodies., 1827
"This motion was such as to satisfy me, after frequently repeated observation, that it arose neither from currents in the fluid, nor from its gradual evaporation, but belonged to the particle itself."
— from A Brief Account of Microscopical Observations Made in the Months of June, July, and August, 1827, on the Particles Contained in the Pollen of Plants; and on the General Existence of Active Molecules in Organic and Inorganic Bodies, 1827
All quotes by Robert Brown (343)
The beauty of a flower hides profound structural truths.
In science, curiosity is the spark that ignites progress.
The nucleus, once discovered, changes everything we know of life.
Life's mysteries unfold under the lens of diligence.
Particles jiggle with an energy not of our making.
Botany is the poetry of the earth.
The cell's interior is a world unto itself.
Adversity in travel forges the botanist's spirit.
Motion without cause challenges our physics.
Seeds of knowledge grow into trees of understanding.
The microscope reveals what the eye alone cannot.
In every plant, a story of survival and adaptation.
Discovery demands we question the apparent stillness.
The nucleus holds the blueprint of existence.
Nature's laws are written in the language of cells.
My life's work is but a footnote to nature's vast book.
Granules dance in fluids, mocking our immobility.
Botanists are explorers of the green unknown.
The joy of finding the nucleus was unparalleled.
Brownian motion is the heartbeat of the microscopic world.
Contemporaries of Robert Brown
Other Biologys born within 50 years of Robert Brown (1773–1858).