What year were vacuoles discovered?

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek discovered vacuoles in 1676. Vacuoles are minuscule organisms present in all plant cells, as well as in some bacterial and animal cells.

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek was a Dutch scientist who became known as the father of microbiology. He was the first scientist to use a microscope to observe bacteria. Leeuwenhoek built more than 500 microscopes, some of which still survive as of 2015. He discovered vacuoles by studying the components of bacterial cells and was the first to determine the structure of these organisms. The role of the vacuoles is to maintain the pH balance and regulate waste in plants and bacteria.