Final answer:
Cells originate from other pre-existing cells through the process of cell division, a fundamental concept established by the cell theory and first articulated in its modern form in the 1850s.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to the cell theory, cells come from pre-existing cells through the process of cell division. This principle, known as biogenesis, was developed in the mid-1800s and is one of the most fundamental concepts in biology. Whether a cell is a simple bacterium or a complex multicellular organism, like a human, it originates from another cell that has divided. In the 1850s, scientists such as Rudolf Virchow expanded upon earlier theories by declaring that 'omnis cellula a cellula' or 'all cells arise from cells.' Therefore, the correct answer to the question of where cells come from is 'A) cells can only come from other, pre-existing cells'.
According to the cell theory, cells come from other, pre-existing cells. Rudolf Virchow developed the hypothesis in 1858 that cells only come from other cells. This idea led to the development of the cell theory, which states that all living things are made up of cells and that cells can only come from pre-existing cells. The first cells may have formed under ideal conditions on early Earth or arrived on Earth from space.