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Theodore Schwann
Theodor Schwann (December 7, 1810 in Neuss, Prussia - January 11, 1882, in Cologne) was a German physiologist, histologist and cytologist.

Among his many contributions to biology there was the development of cell theory, the discovery of Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system, the discovery and study of pepsin, the discovery of the organic nature of yeast and the invention of the term metabolism.

Histology

Theodor Schwann was born on December 7, 1810. His father was a goldsmith, later a printer. Schwann studied at the Jesuits College in Cologne, and then at Bonn, where he met J. P. Müller. It was during the four years spent under the influence of J. P. Müller at Berlin that all Schwann's really valuable work was done. Müller was at this time preparing his great book on physiology, and Schwann assisted him in the experimental work required. Schwann's attention was directed to the nervous and muscular tissues. Besides making such histological discoveries as that of the envelope of the nerve fibers which now bears his name, he initiated those researches in muscular contractility since so elaborately worked out by Du Bois-Reymond and others.

Vitalism and Germ theory

Schwann was thus the first of Müller's pupils who broke with the traditional vitalism and worked towards a physico-chemical explanation of life.

Müller also directed Schwann's attention to the process of digestion, which Schwann showed in 1836 to depend essentially on the presence of a ferment he called pepsin. Schwann also examined the question of spontaneous generation, which led to its eventual disproof. In the course of his experiments, he discovered the organic nature of yeast. In fact the whole germ theory of Pasteur, as well as its antiseptic applications by Lister, can be traced to Schwann's influence.

Cell theory

Once, when Schwann was dining with Schleiden (who in 1837 had viewed and stated that new plant cells formed from the nuclei of old plant cells) in 1837, the conversation turned on the nuclei of plants and animal cells. Schwann remembered seeing similar structures in the cells of the notochord (as had been shown by Müller) and instantly realized the importance of connecting the two phenomena. The resemblance was confirmed without delay by both observers, and the results soon appeared in his famous Microscopic Investigations on the Accordance in the Structure and Growth of Plants and Animals http://vlp.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/library/data/lit28715/index_html?pn=7 scanned source(Berlin, 1839; trans. Sydenham Society, 1847). Thus cell theory was definitely constituted. In the course of his verification of cell theory, in which Schwann traversed the whole field of histology, he proved the cellular origin and development of the most highly differentiated tissues including nails, feathers, and tooth enamel.

His generalization became the foundation of modern histology, and in the hands of Rudolf Virchow (whose cellular pathology was an inevitable deduction from Schwann) afforded the means of placing modern pathology on a truly scientific basis.

See also

December 7 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.

Events

  • 1724 - Toruń Blood tribunal (German:

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18th century - 19th century - 20th century
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Neuss

Coat of arms Location

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Prussia (German: (help info ) [1]; Latin: Borussia, Prutenia; Latvian: Prūsija
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January 11 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.

Events

  • 314 - Pope Miltiades ends his reign as the Pope of Roman Catholicism by dying in power.

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18th century - 19th century - 20th century
1850s  1860s  1870s  - 1880s -  1890s  1900s  1910s
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Subjects:     Archaeology - Architecture -
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Köln
Cologne
Cologne Cathedral with Hohenzollern Bridge
Coat of arms Location

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Physiology (from Greek: φυσις, physis, “nature, origin”; and λόγος, logos, "knowledge") is the study of the mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of living organisms.
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Histology (from the Greek ἱστός) is the study of tissue sectioned as a thin slice, using a microtome. It can be described as microscopic anatomy.
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Cell biology (also called cellular biology or formerly cytology, from the Greek kytos, "container") is an academic discipline that studies cells. This includes their physiological properties, their structure, the organelles they contain, interactions with
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Biology (from Greek: βίος, bio, "life"; and λόγος, logos, "knowledge"), also referred to as the biological sciences, is the scientific study of life.
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Cell theory refers to the idea that cells are the basic unit of structure of all living things. Development of this theory during the 1800's was made possible by advances in microscopy. This theory is one of the fundamental foundations of biology.
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Named after the German physiologist Theodor Schwann, Schwann cells (also referred to as neurolemmocytes) are a variety of glial cell that mainly provide myelin insulation to axons in the peripheral nervous system of jawed vertebrates.
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The Peripheral nervous system resides or extends outside the "CNS" central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) to serve the limbs and organs. Unlike the central nervous system, however, the PNS is not protected by bone, leaving it exposed to toxins and mechanical injuries.
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Pepsin is a digestive protease (EC 3.4.23.1 ) released by the chief cells in the stomach that functions to degrade food proteins into peptides.

According to American Heritage Dictionary, pepsin derives from the Greek word pepsis, meaning digestion (
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Ascomycota (sac fungi)
  • Saccharomycotina (true yeasts)
  • Taphrinomycotina
  • Schizosaccharomycetes (fission yeasts)
Basidiomycota (club fungi)
  • Urediniomycetes

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Metabolism is the complete set of chemical reactions that occur in living cells. These processes are the basis of life, allowing cells to grow and reproduce, maintain their structures, and respond to their environments. Metabolism is usually divided into two categories.
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Physiology (from Greek: φυσις, physis, “nature, origin”; and λόγος, logos, "knowledge") is the study of the mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of living organisms.
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axon or nerve fiber, is a long, slender projection of a nerve cell, or neuron, that conducts electrical impulses away from the neuron's cell body or soma.

Anatomy


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Vitalism, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary,[1] is
  1. a doctrine that the functions of a living organism are due to a vital principle distinct from physicochemical forces

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Life (Biota)

Domains and Kingdoms
  • Life on Earth (Gaeabionta)
  • Nanobes

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Digestion is the process of metabolism whereby a biological entity processes a substance in order to chemically and mechanically convert the substance for the body to use.

Overview

Digestion occurs at the multicellular, cellular, and sub-cellular levels, usually in animals.
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Fermentation is a process of energy production in a cell under anaerobic conditions (with no oxygen required). In common usage fermentation is a type of anaerobic respiration, however a more strict definition exists which defines fermentation as respiration under anaerobic
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Pepsin is a digestive protease (EC 3.4.23.1 ) released by the chief cells in the stomach that functions to degrade food proteins into peptides.

According to American Heritage Dictionary, pepsin derives from the Greek word pepsis, meaning digestion (
..... Click the link for more information.
Ascomycota (sac fungi)
  • Saccharomycotina (true yeasts)
  • Taphrinomycotina
  • Schizosaccharomycetes (fission yeasts)
Basidiomycota (club fungi)
  • Urediniomycetes

..... Click the link for more information.
The germ theory of disease, also called the pathogenic theory of medicine, is a theory that proposes that microorganisms are the cause of many diseases. Although highly controversial when first proposed, it is now a cornerstone of modern medicine and clinical microbiology,
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Antiseptics (Greek αντί, against, and σηπτικός, putrefactive) are antimicrobial substances that are applied to living tissue/skin to reduce the possibility of infection, sepsis, or putrefaction.
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Matthias Jakob Schleiden (April 5, 1814 - June 23, 1881) was a German botanist and co-founder of the cell theory. He was born in Hamburg, Germany. Schleiden was educated at Heidelberg and practiced law in Hamburg but soon developed his hobby of botany into a full-time pursuit.
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The notochord is a flexible, rod-shaped body found in embryos of all chordates. It is composed of cells derived from the mesoderm and defines the primitive axis of the embryo.
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Cell theory refers to the idea that cells are the basic unit of structure of all living things. Development of this theory during the 1800's was made possible by advances in microscopy. This theory is one of the fundamental foundations of biology.
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