Lavoisier was an 18th century French chemist and biologist who made many important scientific contributions. Some of his key experiments examined the nature of combustion and revealed the role of oxygen in both animal respiration and plant respiration. He conducted studies measuring the oxygen consumed by animals and humans at rest and during exercise. Lavoisier is considered the "father of modern chemistry" and one of the main figures of the chemical revolution due to establishing that matter is neither created nor destroyed during chemical reactions.