Theodor Schwann

Theodor Schwann (7 December 1810 – 11 January 1882) was a German physiologist. His many contributions to biology include the development of cell theory, the discovery of Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system, the discovery and study of pectin, and the discovery of the organic nature of yeast.

Early life and education

Schwann was born in Neuss, Prussia, the youngest of four children. His father was a goldsmith, later a printer. Schwann studied at the Jesuits College in Cologne, and then at Bonn, where he met Johannes Peter Müller. He then went to Würzburg for his medical studies.

Career

Schwann became an assistant to Müller. He published his first paper on the taste buds of the tongue in 1837. In 1839, he published Microscopical Researches into the Accordance in the Structure and Growth of Animals and Plants. This was one of the major statements of the cell theory.

Legacy

Schwann is considered one of the founders of the cell theory, along with Matthias Jakob Schleiden and Rudolf Virchow. His major contribution to biology was his development of this theory.

See also

• Cell (biology)
• History of cell biology

External links

• Theodor Schwann at the Encyclopædia Britannica

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  Theodor Schwann
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  Theodor Schwann, founder of cell theory