Nicolaas Hartsoeker

Nicolaas Hartsoeker (1650–1736) was a Dutch physicist and inventor known for his work in optics and for his contributions to the design of early microscopes. He is perhaps best known for his claim of having discovered "spermatozoa," which he illustrated in his microscopic observations, although his interpretations of these observations were later found to be incorrect. Hartsoeker also developed various optical devices and is credited with improving the quality of lenses used in microscopy.