Paul Langerhans (1847 - 1888) was a famous German pathologist and biologist.

Eponymous terms

• Langerhans Cells - Skin cells concerned with the immune response and which sometimes contain Langerhans granules. In 1868 Langerhans used the technique taught to him by Cohnheim to stain a sample of human skin with gold chloride and identified the cells which bear his name. From their appearance, Langerhans believed they were nerve cells.
• Islets of Langerhans - Pancreatic cells which produce insulin. Langerhans discovered these cells during his studies for his doctorate at the Berlin Pathological Institute in 1869.

Life

Langerhans travelled to the Middle East, and served as a physician during the Franco-Prussian War. In 1871 he was made Prosector in Pathology in Freiburg, he was later made a full professor.

He published a number of papers in Virchow's archives before moving to Madeira because he was suffering from Tuberculosis. While in Madeira he became interested in the marine fauna there and made a number of important observations on the classification of invertebrates. He gave a lecture on these topics to the Royal Academy in Berlin in 1887.

Death

Langerhans died following an infection and renal disease. He was buried in Madeira in the cemetary of the English church.

Referances

• B.G. Firkin & J.A.Whitworth (1987). Dictionary of Medical Eponyms. Parthenon Publishing. ISBN 1-85070-333-7