Johann Friedrich Meckel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Johann Friedrich Meckel
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Johann Friedrich Meckel the Younger
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| Born | 17 October 1781 |
| Died | 31 October 1833 (aged 52) |
| Nationality | German |
| Alma mater | University of Halle |
| Known for | teratology |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | anatomy, pathology |
| Institutions | University of Halle |
| Influences | Georges Cuvier Jean-Baptiste Lamarck |
Johann Friedrich Meckel (born October 17, 1781 – died October 31, 1833) was a German scientist. He is often called Johann Friedrich Meckel, the Younger. He was a professor of anatomy (the study of body structures), pathology (the study of diseases), and zoology (the study of animals) at the University of Halle in Germany.
Life and Discoveries
In 1802, Johann Friedrich Meckel earned his medical doctorate (a high university degree) from the University of Halle. His special project was about unusual heart conditions. After this, he continued his studies in other cities like Würzburg, Vienna, and Paris.
In Paris, he worked with a famous zoologist named Georges Cuvier. Meckel helped Cuvier study and organize many animal body specimens. Later, Meckel even translated Cuvier's five-book work on comparative anatomy from French into German.
In 1808, Meckel became a full professor at the University of Halle. He taught about normal and diseased body structures, surgery, and childbirth. From 1826 to 1833, he was also the editor of an important science journal called Archiv für Anatomie und Physiologie. In 1829, he was chosen as a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
Meckel was very interested in the ideas of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, another naturalist who studied how living things change over time. Meckel was a pioneer in a field called teratology. This is the study of birth defects and how they happen when a baby is developing inside its mother. He believed that even unusual developments followed the same natural rules as normal development.
He worked with a French scientist named Étienne Serres. Together, they developed a theory called the "Meckel-Serres Law." This idea suggested that the stages of a living thing's development (like a baby growing) are similar to the stages of life forms on Earth, from simple to complex.
Things Named After Him
Several important terms in medicine and science are named after Johann Friedrich Meckel:
- Meckel's diverticulum – This is a small pouch that can sometimes be found in the small intestine. About 2% of people have it.
- Meckel's cartilage – This is a bar of cartilage (a flexible tissue) that helps form the lower jaw (mandible) during development. He described it in 1820.
- Meckel syndrome – This is a rare genetic condition that causes several birth defects. It was described in 1822.
- Mecklin – This is a protein in the body. The gene for this protein is found on chromosome 8.
- The supposed Meckel-Serres Law of recapitulation in embryology, which we talked about earlier.
His Family of Scientists
Johann Friedrich Meckel came from a family of famous anatomists.
- His grandfather was also named "Johann Friedrich Meckel." To avoid confusion, he is often called Johann Friedrich Meckel, the Elder. He was also a professor of anatomy, and some body parts are named after him too!
- His father, Philipp Friedrich Theodor Meckel, was also an anatomist.
- His brother, August Albrecht Meckel, studied legal medicine and bird anatomy. Sadly, he died young from tuberculosis.
- August's son, Johann Heinrich Meckel, followed in the family's footsteps. He became a professor of pathological anatomy (the study of diseased body structures) at the University of Berlin. He also died from a lung disease, and another famous scientist, Rudolf Virchow, took his place.
See also
In Spanish: Johann Friedrich Meckel para niños
- Meckel syndrome
- Meckel diverticulum
