Islets of clear cells found within the pancreas were first described by a doctoral student in 1869, identifying a structural difference in the gland that would eventually bear his name. Paul Langerhans performed this foundational research while working at the Berlin Pathological Institute, long before the specific endocrine function of these pancreatic regions was fully understood by the scientific community.
Early Academic Training
Born in Berlin in 1847, he was the son of a physician and attended the Evangelisches Gymnasium zum Grauen Kloster. His academic performance allowed him to bypass final oral examinations. He undertook his medical studies at the University of Jena and later at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, where he earned his Doctor of Medicine degree.
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During his undergraduate years, he participated in a competition at Berlin University, which led him to investigate epidermal skin cells. Using gold chloride staining techniques learned from Julius Friedrich Cohnheim, he identified specific branched cells in human skin. Although he initially misidentified these as nerve cells, they are now recognized as immune-responsive cells known as Langerhans cells. His 1869 thesis further detailed the pancreatic islands and the granular cells of the stratum granulosum, also called the Layer of Langerhans.
Professional Life and Illness
Following graduation, he participated in an expedition to Syria, Palestine, and Jordan before serving in an ambulance unit during the Franco-Prussian War. In 1871, Rudolf Virchow helped him secure a position at the University of Freiburg, where he became a full professor within two years. His career in Freiburg ended in 1874 after he contracted tuberculosis in the dissecting room, forcing him to seek treatment in Switzerland, Italy, and finally Madeira.
Final Years in Madeira
Arriving in Funchal in 1875, he adapted to his declining health by shifting his focus to marine biology, specifically the classification of invertebrates, which he presented to the Royal Academy in Berlin in 1887. He also maintained a medical practice and authored a travel handbook for the island. In 1885, he married Margarethe Ebart and settled in Quinta Lambert. By 1887, his health deteriorated further due to renal failure and he passed away in 1888.
Fast facts
- Born: 1847, Berlin
- Died: 1888, Funchal
- Nationality: Kingdom of Prussia
- Profession: Physician, physiologist, pathologist
- Education: University of Jena, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
- Employment: University of Freiburg
- Burial site: British Cemetery of Funchal
Questions readers ask
What did Paul Langerhans discover?
He is credited with discovering the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas and the Langerhans cells within the skin.
Where is Paul Langerhans buried?
He is buried in the British Cemetery of Funchal on the island of Madeira.
Achievements
- Held posts at University of Freiburg
- Fields: medicine
