Johannes Peter Müller facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Johannes Peter Müller
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| Born | 14 July 1801 Koblenz, Rhin-et-Moselle, First French Republic
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| Died | 28 April 1858 (aged 56) |
| Nationality | German |
| Citizenship | First French Republic First French Empire Kingdom of Prussia |
| Education | University of Bonn (PhD, 1822) University of Berlin (Dr. med. hab., 1824) |
| Known for | Law of specific nerve energies Müller's frog experiment Müller's larva Müllerian ducts Vieth-Müller circle |
| Awards | Pour le Mérite (1842) ForMemRS (1840) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physiology |
| Institutions | University of Bonn University of Berlin |
| Thesis | Commentarii de phoronomia animalium (1822) |
| Doctoral advisor | A. F. J. K. Mayer Karl Rudolphi |
| Other academic advisors | Philipp Franz von Walther |
| Doctoral students | Hermann von Helmholtz Rudolf Virchow |
| Other notable students | Ferdinand Julius Cohn Friedrich Anton Schneider |
| Influenced | Charles Scott Sherrington Jakob von Uexküll |
Johannes Peter Müller (born July 14, 1801 – died April 28, 1858) was an important German scientist. He was a physiologist, meaning he studied how living things work. He also studied comparative anatomy, comparing the body structures of different animals. Müller was also an ichthyologist (someone who studies fish) and a herpetologist (someone who studies reptiles and amphibians). He was known for his many discoveries and for bringing together different areas of scientific knowledge. A part of the human body, the paramesonephric duct, is named the Müllerian duct in his honor.
Contents
Life of a Scientist: Johannes Müller
Early Life and Education
Johannes Müller was born in Koblenz, Germany. His father was a poor shoemaker. Young Johannes was almost sent to become a saddler, but his teacher saw how smart he was. This teacher helped him prepare to become a Roman Catholic priest.
During his time at college in Koblenz, he loved studying classics and even translated works by the ancient Greek thinker Aristotle. At first, he really wanted to be a priest.
However, when he was 18, he became very interested in natural science. He decided to study medicine instead. In 1819, he joined the University of Bonn and earned his medical degree in 1822. Later, he studied at the University of Berlin. There, he learned from scientists like Karl Rudolphi. They taught him that to understand how the body works, you must carefully observe nature and do experiments.
Müller's Career Journey
After his studies, Müller quickly became a respected scientist. In 1824, he started teaching physiology and comparative anatomy at the University of Bonn. He became a full professor there in 1830.
In 1833, he moved to the University of Berlin. He became the head of anatomy and physiology, a position he held until he died.
Important Early Research
Müller made many important discoveries in physiology. He helped us understand more about the voice, speech, and hearing. He also studied the chemical and physical properties of body fluids like lymph and blood.
His first major works were about how we see. One book, On the comparative physiology of sight (1826), looked at how humans and animals see. Another, On visual hallucination (1826), explored complex ideas about how our minds create images. Müller quickly became a leader in studying both the structure of animals (zoology) and how their bodies work (experimental physiology). His research in 1830 helped explain how reflex actions work.
The Elements of Physiology Book
Before Müller, many discoveries had been made in physiology. But Müller brought all this knowledge together. He created general rules and showed other scientists how new discoveries in physics and chemistry could help them understand the body better.
His most famous work was a book called Handbuch der Physiologie des Menschen. It was published between 1833 and 1840. This book started a new era in the study of physiology. For the first time, it combined information from human and animal anatomy, chemistry, and other sciences. It also used new tools like the microscope to study how the body works.
A very important part of his book was about how our nerves and senses work. He clearly explained a principle that had been noticed before: the type of sensation you feel depends on the sense organ, not how it's stimulated. For example, if you press on your eye, you still see light, not pressure. This is because the eye and optic nerve are designed for light. He called this the Law of specific nerve energies.
His book became the main textbook for physiology for much of the 19th century. It showed Müller's interest in how living things are different from non-living things. He discussed how different body systems work in many animals. He also believed that living things have a special "life-energy" that cannot be fully explained by just physical laws.
Later Years and Legacy
In his later life, Müller focused mainly on comparative anatomy. He especially loved studying fish and marine invertebrates (animals without backbones that live in the sea). He took 19 trips to different seas, like the Baltic Sea, North Sea, and Mediterranean Sea, to study sea life.
He also wrote a big book about the anatomy of amphibians, which at that time included reptiles. He even described several new species of snakes.
Johannes Müller taught and guided many famous scientists who later made their own big discoveries. Some of his notable students included Hermann von Helmholtz, Emil du Bois-Reymond, and Theodor Schwann.
Müller passed away in Berlin in 1858. In 1899, a bronze statue was put up in his memory in Koblenz, his hometown.
Key Works by Johannes Müller
Besides his famous Handbuch der Physiologie (translated as Elements of Physiology), Müller wrote many other important scientific books and papers. Some of these include:
- On the Respiration of the Fetus (1823) – a prize-winning study.
- On the comparative physiology of sight (1826).
- On visual hallucination (1826).
- On the finer structure of secreting glands (1830).
- Contributions to the Anatomy and Natural History of Amphibians (1832).
- On the structural details of malignant tumors (1838) – a pioneering work using microscopes to study diseases.
- Systematic Description of the Plagiostomes (1841) with Friedrich Gustav Jakob Henle. This book was about a group of fish including sharks and rays.
- System of the Asteroids (1842) with Franz Hermann Troschel. This book was about starfish.
- Ichthyological Hours (1845–1849) with Troschel. This was another work on fish.
After the death of another scientist, J. F. Meckel, Müller also edited an important scientific journal called Archiv für Anatomie und Physiologie.
See also
- Connective tissue
- Hering's law of equal innervation
- List of German inventors and discoverers
