Robert Hooke first observed and coined the term "cell" after viewing cork cells under a microscope. The cell theory states that cells are the smallest unit of life, cells only come from existing cells, and cells are the basic unit of structure and function in living things. Key contributors to the cell theory included Theodor Schwann, Matthais Schleidon, and Rudolf Virchow. The document then discusses various cell organelles like lysosomes, ribosomes, centrioles, vacuoles, and the nucleus.