How do technological breakthroughs contribute to the formulation of hte cell theory

Question

and knowledge of the cell?

Answer 1

I imagine that the answer that they're looking for has to deal with the development and advancement of the microscope.  When Hooke first identified cells, he was using a fairly primitive compound microscope.  He called what he saw "little boxes."  Close to 100 years later, when Schleiden and Schwann were using microscopes to study plant and animal tissue, the microscopes were more advanced, with more magnification, and they were able to see the nucleus of the cells and other organelles, which caused them to form the basis of the cell theory.  About 20 years later, Virchow expanded on this by studying cell division using a (probably even better) microscope.  

Answer 2

Technological breakthroughs such as the Electron Microscope allow us to see the cell in much greater detail. We can also see the organelles of the cell and how they work. Many years ago when Hooke first discovered the cell, he could only see the outline of the membrane on his fuzzy microscope. The cells looked like empty boxes, hence why he named them cells. With more technology we now know all about what these "empty boxes" are composed of, and the important role they play in life.