Final answer:
The term "cell" was used in reference to the chambers observed in the cork because they resembled small rooms or boxes. Robert Hooke, the scientist who first observed these chambers in 1665, described the cork cells as "small Boxes or Bladders of Air".
Step-by-step explanation:
The term "cell" was used in reference to the chambers observed in the cork because they resembled small rooms or boxes. Robert Hooke, the scientist who first observed these chambers in 1665, described the cork cells as "small Boxes or Bladders of Air". He compared them to the rooms that monks lived in, called cells, which had rectangular shapes. However, it's important to note that the term "cell" was used before the true nature and function of cells were fully understood.