Why didn't the observer of living cells suggest that they were the unit of life?

The observer of living cells, Robert Hooke, did not propose that cells were the unit of life primarily because, at the time, the understanding of cell function and Biology was limited. Hooke's observations were largely structural, focusing on the cell walls of cork without recognizing their role in metabolism or reproduction. The concept of cells as the fundamental unit of life was later developed by scientists like Schleiden and Schwann, who integrated advancements in microscopy and cell theory.