Ilya Mechnikov Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov
Ilya Mechnikov, 1908
Born	16 May 1845 near Kharkov, Russian Empire
Died	16 July 1916 Paris, France
Alma mater	University of Kharkoff
Awards	Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1908)
Scientific career
Fields	Zoology, immunology
Institutions	Institut Pasteur, Paris, France

Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov (born May 16, 1845 – died July 16, 1916) was a famous scientist. He was a Ukrainian-Russian zoologist. This means he studied animals.

Mechnikov won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1908. He shared this award with Paul Ehrlich. They won for their important discoveries about how our bodies fight off disease. This is called immunity.

Discovering How Our Bodies Fight Germs
- What Macrophages Do
Studying How We Age
Early Life and Education
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Discovering How Our Bodies Fight Germs

Ilya Mechnikov made a huge discovery in 1882. He found special cells in our bodies called macrophages. These cells are like tiny clean-up crews.

What Macrophages Do

Macrophages protect us from pathogens, which are germs that can make us sick. Mechnikov learned that macrophages "eat" these germs. This process is called phagocytosis.

Macrophages are found almost everywhere in our bodies.
They move around, looking for harmful germs.
When they find germs, they surround and digest them.
This helps keep us healthy and fight off infections.

Studying How We Age

Mechnikov also thought a lot about how living things get old. In 1903, he created a new word: gerontology.

Gerontology is the study of ageing and how long living things can live.
Mechnikov was one of the first scientists to focus on this important topic.

Early Life and Education

Ilya Mechnikov was born in a place called Kharkov. This area was part of the Russian Empire at the time. Today, it is known as Kharkiv in Ukraine. He studied at the University of Kharkoff.