While the development of cell theory involved many scientists, the three most credited are:

* Theodor Schwann: Schwann was a German physiologist who in 1839 published his observations that all animal tissues are composed of cells.

* Matthias Schleiden: A German botanist, Schleiden published his own observations in 1838 that all plants are made up of cells.

* Rudolf Virchow: This German pathologist added the crucial third component to the theory in 1855 by proposing that all cells arise from pre-existing cells. This refuted the idea of spontaneous generation.

Therefore, the three authors who are most commonly associated with the development of cell theory are Schwann, Schleiden, and Virchow.