Johann Conrad Peyer facts for kids

Johann Conrad Peyer (born December 26, 1653 – died February 29, 1712) was a smart doctor and scientist from Schaffhausen, Switzerland. He is famous for discovering tiny parts of our intestines.

Who Was Johann Conrad Peyer?

Johann Conrad Peyer was born in Switzerland. He wanted to become a doctor. So, he traveled to study medicine in big cities. He learned in Paris from a doctor named Guichard Joseph Duverney. He also studied in Montpellier with Raymond Vieussens. In 1681, he earned his medical degree from Basel University.

After finishing his studies, Peyer went back to his hometown, Schaffhausen. There, he worked as a doctor. He also did important research. He often worked with other scientists. These included Johann Jakob Wepfer and his son-in-law, Johann Conrad Brunner. They explored how the human body works.

Peyer's Amazing Discoveries

In 1677, Peyer wrote a book. It was called Exercitatio anatomico-medica de glandulis intestinorum earumque usu et affectionibus. That's a long name! In this book, he described something new. These are now called Peyer's patches.

What Are Peyer's Patches?

Peyer's patches are small groups of special cells. They are found in the lining of your small intestine. They are part of your lymphatic system. This system helps your body fight off sickness. Peyer was the first to describe these important parts of our body.

His Work on Animals

Peyer also wrote another important book. It was about veterinary medicine. This means it was about animal health. The book was titled Merycologia sive de Ruminantibus et Ruminatione Commentariae. In this book, he wrote about animals that chew their cud. These animals are called ruminants. Cows and sheep are examples of ruminants. He studied how these animals digest their food.