Matthias Jakob Schleiden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Matthias Jakob Schleiden
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Matthias Jakob
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| Born | 5 April 1804 |
| Died | 23 June 1881 (aged 77) |
| Nationality | German |
| Alma mater | Heidelberg |
| Known for | Cell theory Coining the term 'cytoblast' |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | University of Jena, University of Dorpat |
| Author abbrev. (botany) | Schleid. |
Matthias Jakob Schleiden (born April 5, 1804 – died June 23, 1881) was an important German botanist. A botanist is a scientist who studies plants. He is famous for helping to create the cell theory, which is a big idea in biology. He worked on this theory with two other scientists, Theodor Schwann and Rudolf Virchow.
Schleiden also wrote poems and other non-science books. He used the pen name Ernst for these writings.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Matthias Jakob Schleiden was born in Hamburg, Germany, on April 5, 1804. His father was a doctor for the city. Matthias first studied law and became a lawyer in 1827.
After a difficult time, he decided to change his career. He became very interested in science instead.
How Schleiden Became a Botanist
Schleiden began studying natural science at the University of Göttingen. Later, in 1835, he moved to the University of Berlin to focus on plants. His uncle, Johann Horkel, encouraged him to study how plants develop from tiny beginnings.
Schleiden quickly grew to love studying plants. He especially liked looking at plant structures using a microscope. He even loved cats!
Discoveries About Plant Cells
As a professor at the University of Jena, Schleiden wrote an important paper in 1838. It was called Contributions to our Knowledge of Phytogenesis. In this paper, he clearly stated that all plants are made of cells.
This was a huge step! Schleiden and Theodor Schwann were the first to formally state this idea. It became a basic rule in biology, just like the atomic theory in chemistry. Schleiden also realized how important the cell nucleus was. The nucleus is the control center of a cell, discovered by Robert Brown in 1831. Schleiden felt it was connected to how cells divide and make new cells.
In 1838, Schleiden and Schwann put together their ideas into the cell theory. They said that all living things are made of cells. They also stated that the cell is the most basic part of any living organism. Later, in 1885, Rudolf Virchow added another key idea: all cells come from cells that already exist.
Schleiden's Later Career
In 1863, Schleiden became a professor of botany at the University of Dorpat. He continued his work, confirming that every part of a plant is made of cells. He also showed that a tiny plant embryo grows from just one cell.
Matthias Jakob Schleiden passed away in Frankfurt am Main on June 23, 1881.
Schleiden and Evolution
Schleiden was one of the first scientists in Germany to support the idea of evolution. Evolution is the process by which living things change over many generations. In his book Die Pflanze und ihr Leben (The Plant: A Biography) from 1848, he wrote about how species can change over time.
He was one of the first German biologists to accept Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. Many people saw him as a leading supporter of Darwin's ideas in Germany.
Popularizing Science
Schleiden also helped make science popular in Germany. His books, like Die Pflanze und ihr Leben and Studien: Populäre Vorträge (Studies: Popular Lectures), were written in a way that regular people could understand. This helped more people learn about science.
He even published two books of poetry under his pen name, "Ernst."
Selected Publications
- On the Development of the Organization in Phaenogamous Plants (1838)
- The Plant, a Biography (1848)
Images for kids
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Die Entwickelung der Meduse ("The Development of the Medusæ"), in Schleiden's Das Meer
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Alter des Menschengeschlechts, die Entstehung der Arten und die Stellung des Menschen in der Natur, 1863
See also
In Spanish: Matthias Jakob Schleiden para niños
