Walter Karl Koch
Encyclopedia
Walter Karl Koch was a German
surgeon
best known for the discovery of Koch's triangle, a triangular shaped area in the right atrium of the heart, and of Tawara's node, the atrioventricular node
which is the beginning of the auricular-ventricular
bundle.
Educated in Freiburg im Breisgau and at the Kaiser Wilhelm Academy in Berlin
, he obtained his doctorate
in 1907 at Freiburg
. As a military physician, he served at the Heidelberg
pathological
institute and the 2nd medical clinic in Berlin
. Here he habilitated in general pathology
and pathological anatomy in 1921. After being named a professor in 1922, he worked as head of department at Berlin's Westend hospital. Koch became known for his work on the motor centres of the human heart
, and coined the term "sinus node".
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
surgeon
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
best known for the discovery of Koch's triangle, a triangular shaped area in the right atrium of the heart, and of Tawara's node, the atrioventricular node
Atrioventricular node
The atrioventricular node is a part of the electrical control system of the heart that coordinates heart rate. It electrically connects atrial and ventricular chambers...
which is the beginning of the auricular-ventricular
Ventricle (heart)
In the heart, a ventricle is one of two large chambers that collect and expel blood received from an atrium towards the peripheral beds within the body and lungs. The Atria primes the Pump...
bundle.
Educated in Freiburg im Breisgau and at the Kaiser Wilhelm Academy in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, he obtained his doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in 1907 at Freiburg
Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the extreme south-west of the country, it straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the Black Forest in the Upper Rhine Plain...
. As a military physician, he served at the Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
pathological
Pathology
Pathology is the precise study and diagnosis of disease. The word pathology is from Ancient Greek , pathos, "feeling, suffering"; and , -logia, "the study of". Pathologization, to pathologize, refers to the process of defining a condition or behavior as pathological, e.g. pathological gambling....
institute and the 2nd medical clinic in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. Here he habilitated in general pathology
Pathology
Pathology is the precise study and diagnosis of disease. The word pathology is from Ancient Greek , pathos, "feeling, suffering"; and , -logia, "the study of". Pathologization, to pathologize, refers to the process of defining a condition or behavior as pathological, e.g. pathological gambling....
and pathological anatomy in 1921. After being named a professor in 1922, he worked as head of department at Berlin's Westend hospital. Koch became known for his work on the motor centres of the human heart
Human heart
The human heart is a muscular organ that provides a continuous blood circulation through the cardiac cycle and is one of the most vital organs in the human body...
, and coined the term "sinus node".