Émile Duclaux facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Émile Duclaux
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Emile Duclaux in the 1900s
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| Born | June 24, 1840 Aurillac, Cantal, Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, France
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| Died | May 3, 1904 (aged 63) Paris, Paris, Île-de-France, France
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| Occupation | Physicist, Biologist and Chemist |
| Children | 3; Jacques Eugene Duclaux |
Émile Duclaux was an important French scientist. He was born on June 24, 1840, in Aurillac, France. He became well-known as a microbiologist and chemist. This means he studied tiny living things (microbes) and how chemicals work. He passed away on May 2, 1904.
Contents
Early Life and Studies
Émile Duclaux went to school in Aurillac. He later studied in Paris at the Lycée Saint-Louis. He also attended the famous École Normale Supérieure. In 1862, he started working with Louis Pasteur. Pasteur was a very famous scientist. Duclaux was his assistant in the laboratory.
Duclaux taught science in many cities. He taught in Tours in 1865. Then he moved to Clermont-Ferrand in 1866. Later, he taught in Lyon starting in 1873. Finally, he became a professor in Paris in 1878. In Paris, he taught about meteorology, which is the study of weather. He worked at the Institute of Agronomy, which is about farming science. He worked closely with Louis Pasteur for most of his career.
Important Scientific Work
Duclaux did a lot of work in chemistry and bacteriology. Bacteriology is the study of bacteria. He also worked on hygiene (keeping things clean) and agriculture (farming).
One of his big ideas was about naming enzymes. Enzymes are special proteins that help chemical reactions happen. He suggested adding "ase" to the end of an enzyme's name. For example, an enzyme that breaks down lactose is called lactase. This idea honored earlier scientists. They had found the first enzyme, called "diastase", in 1833.
Duclaux worked with Louis Pasteur on many projects. They studied diseases that affected silkworms. Silkworms are important for making silk. They also did experiments to show that living things do not just appear from nowhere. This was called the theory of spontaneous generation.
In the 1870s, Duclaux studied phylloxera. This was a tiny insect, like an aphid, that caused big problems for grape vineyards. He also researched what makes up milk. He even studied how to make beer and wine better.
Leadership and Writing
In 1887, Duclaux started a science magazine. It was called Annales de l'Institut Pasteur. He worked with other scientists like Charles Chamberland and Pierre Paul Émile Roux. They were on the first team that edited the magazine.
After Louis Pasteur passed away in 1895, Duclaux took over. He became the director of the Pasteur Institute. Roux and Chamberland helped him as sub-directors.
Duclaux wrote many books and articles. Some of his well-known books include Traité de microbiologie (about microbiology) and L'hygiène sociale (about social hygiene). He also wrote Pasteur, histoire d'un esprit. This book was a biography about his friend and mentor, Louis Pasteur.
Personal Life and Legacy
Émile Duclaux was also involved in French politics. He strongly supported Alfred Dreyfus. Dreyfus was a soldier who was wrongly accused of being a traitor. Duclaux spoke out to defend him.
Duclaux's second wife was Agnes Mary Frances Duclaux. She was a famous writer. His son, Jacques Eugène Duclaux, also became a respected chemist.
See also
In Spanish: Émile Duclaux para niños
