Wilhelm Kühne
Encyclopedia
Wilhelm Friedrich Kühne was a German
physiologist. Born in Hamburg
, he is best known today for coining the word enzyme
.
in Lüneburg
, he went to Göttingen, where his master in chemistry was Friedrich Wöhler
and in physiology Rudolph Wagner. Having graduated in 1856, he studied under various famous physiologists, including Emil du Bois-Reymond
at Berlin, Claude Bernard
in Paris
, and KFW Ludwig and EW von Brücke
in Vienna
.
At the end of 1863 he was put in charge of the chemical department of the pathological laboratory at Berlin, under Rudolf Virchow
; in 1868 he was appointed professor of physiology at Amsterdam; and in 1871 he was chosen to succeed Hermann von Helmholtz in the same capacity at Heidelberg, where he died on 10 June 1900.
and nerve
, which occupied the earlier years of his life, and the chemistry of digestion, which he began to investigate while at Berlin with Virchow. In 1876, he discovered the protein-digesting enzyme trypsin
.
He was also known for his researches on vision and the chemical changes occurring in the retina
under the influence of light. The visual purple, described by Franz Christian Boll
in 1876, he attempted to make the basis of a photochemical
theory of vision, but though he was able to establish its importance in connexion with vision in light of low intensity, its absence from the retinal area of most distinct vision detracted from the completeness of the theory and precluded its general acceptance.
He was elected member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
in 1898.
(1861-1896), martyr and national hero of the Philippines, learned physiology under Professor Kühne at the Heidelberg University in 1886.
Ida Henrietta Hyde
(1857–1945) wanted to study physiology under Dr. Kühne at the University of Heidelberg on the recommendation of Professor Alexander Goette
at Strasbourg
. The University accepted her, but Dr. Willhelm Kühne refused to allow her in lectures and laboratories. He is reported to have said that he would never allow “skirts” in his classes. However, when a colleague asked him whether, if at the end of the course she could pass the examination, he would grant her the degree, he jokingly replied that he would. And so for six semesters, she had to study physiology independent of the classroom and of hands-on laboratory projects, using only his assistants’ notes and lab sketches. Finally, a four-hour oral examination by Kühne’s academic committee, proved her worthiness. The “Summa Cum Laude” degree, the highest honors, could not go to a woman, so Kühne invented a new phrase: “Multa Cum Laude Superavit" in English meaning “she overcame with much praise.”
Hyde completed the PhD at Heidelberg in 1896, the first woman to receive one for this type of work. Dr. Kühne recommended her for a position at the Heidelberg-supported research program at the Naples Marine Biological Laboratory in Naples Italy, where she studied the nature and function of salivary glands. She was a life member of this organization, and its secretary from 1897 to 1900.
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...
physiologist. Born in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, he is best known today for coining the word enzyme
Enzyme
Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. In enzymatic reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process, called substrates, are converted into different molecules, called products. Almost all chemical reactions in a biological cell need enzymes in order to occur at rates...
.
Biography
Kühne was born at Hamburg on the 28th of March 1837. After attending the gymnasiumGymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
in Lüneburg
Lüneburg
Lüneburg is a town in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is located about southeast of fellow Hanseatic city Hamburg. It is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region, and one of Hamburg's inner suburbs...
, he went to Göttingen, where his master in chemistry was Friedrich Wöhler
Friedrich Wöhler
Friedrich Wöhler was a German chemist, best known for his synthesis of urea, but also the first to isolate several chemical elements.-Biography:He was born in Eschersheim, which belonged to aau...
and in physiology Rudolph Wagner. Having graduated in 1856, he studied under various famous physiologists, including Emil du Bois-Reymond
Emil du Bois-Reymond
Emil du Bois-Reymond was a German physician and physiologist, the discoverer of nerve action potential, and the father of experimental electrophysiology.-Life:...
at Berlin, Claude Bernard
Claude Bernard
Claude Bernard was a French physiologist. He was the first to define the term milieu intérieur . Historian of science I. Bernard Cohen of Harvard University called Bernard "one of the greatest of all men of science"...
in Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
, and KFW Ludwig and EW von Brücke
Ernst Wilhelm von Brücke
Ernst Wilhelm Ritter von Brücke was a German physician and physiologist.He was born Ernst Wilhelm Brücke in Berlin. He graduated in medicine at University of Berlin in 1842, the following year he became esearch assistant to Johannes Peter Müller...
in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
.
At the end of 1863 he was put in charge of the chemical department of the pathological laboratory at Berlin, under Rudolf Virchow
Rudolf Virchow
Rudolph Carl Virchow was a German doctor, anthropologist, pathologist, prehistorian, biologist and politician, known for his advancement of public health...
; in 1868 he was appointed professor of physiology at Amsterdam; and in 1871 he was chosen to succeed Hermann von Helmholtz in the same capacity at Heidelberg, where he died on 10 June 1900.
Works
His original work falls into two main groups, the physiology of muscleMuscle
Muscle is a contractile tissue of animals and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. Muscle cells contain contractile filaments that move past each other and change the size of the cell. They are classified as skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscles. Their function is to...
and nerve
Nerve
A peripheral nerve, or simply nerve, is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of peripheral axons . A nerve provides a common pathway for the electrochemical nerve impulses that are transmitted along each of the axons. Nerves are found only in the peripheral nervous system...
, which occupied the earlier years of his life, and the chemistry of digestion, which he began to investigate while at Berlin with Virchow. In 1876, he discovered the protein-digesting enzyme trypsin
Trypsin
Trypsin is a serine protease found in the digestive system of many vertebrates, where it hydrolyses proteins. Trypsin is produced in the pancreas as the inactive proenzyme trypsinogen. Trypsin cleaves peptide chains mainly at the carboxyl side of the amino acids lysine or arginine, except when...
.
He was also known for his researches on vision and the chemical changes occurring in the retina
Retina
The vertebrate retina is a light-sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the eye. The optics of the eye create an image of the visual world on the retina, which serves much the same function as the film in a camera. Light striking the retina initiates a cascade of chemical and electrical...
under the influence of light. The visual purple, described by Franz Christian Boll
Franz Christian Boll
Boll, Franz, 1849-1879. was a German physiologist and histologist. He was the son of Lutheran theologian Franz Boll ....
in 1876, he attempted to make the basis of a photochemical
Photochemistry
Photochemistry, a sub-discipline of chemistry, is the study of chemical reactions that proceed with the absorption of light by atoms or molecules.. Everyday examples include photosynthesis, the degradation of plastics and the formation of vitamin D with sunlight.-Principles:Light is a type of...
theory of vision, but though he was able to establish its importance in connexion with vision in light of low intensity, its absence from the retinal area of most distinct vision detracted from the completeness of the theory and precluded its general acceptance.
He was elected member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences or Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden. The Academy is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization which acts to promote the sciences, primarily the natural sciences and mathematics.The Academy was founded on 2...
in 1898.
Some notable students
Dr. José RizalJosé Rizal
José Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda , was a Filipino polymath, patriot and the most prominent advocate for reform in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era. He is regarded as the foremost Filipino patriot and is listed as one of the national heroes of the Philippines by...
(1861-1896), martyr and national hero of the Philippines, learned physiology under Professor Kühne at the Heidelberg University in 1886.
Ida Henrietta Hyde
Ida Henrietta Hyde
Ida Henrietta Hyde was an American physiologist known for developing a micro-electrode powerful enough to stimulate tissue chemically or electronically, yet small enough to inject or remove tissue from a cell.-Childhood:...
(1857–1945) wanted to study physiology under Dr. Kühne at the University of Heidelberg on the recommendation of Professor Alexander Goette
Alexander Wilhelm von Götte
Alexander Wilhelm von Götte was a German zoologist born in St. Petersburg. He is remembered for his studies involving the biological development of various animals. The invertebrate species Opisthocystis goettei is named after him.He studied medicine at the University of Dorpat, obtaining his...
at Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
. The University accepted her, but Dr. Willhelm Kühne refused to allow her in lectures and laboratories. He is reported to have said that he would never allow “skirts” in his classes. However, when a colleague asked him whether, if at the end of the course she could pass the examination, he would grant her the degree, he jokingly replied that he would. And so for six semesters, she had to study physiology independent of the classroom and of hands-on laboratory projects, using only his assistants’ notes and lab sketches. Finally, a four-hour oral examination by Kühne’s academic committee, proved her worthiness. The “Summa Cum Laude” degree, the highest honors, could not go to a woman, so Kühne invented a new phrase: “Multa Cum Laude Superavit" in English meaning “she overcame with much praise.”
Hyde completed the PhD at Heidelberg in 1896, the first woman to receive one for this type of work. Dr. Kühne recommended her for a position at the Heidelberg-supported research program at the Naples Marine Biological Laboratory in Naples Italy, where she studied the nature and function of salivary glands. She was a life member of this organization, and its secretary from 1897 to 1900.