He was born in Sachsenberg (now part of Schwerin) as the fifth child and only son of the psychiatristCarl Friedrich Flemming (1799–1880) and his second wife, Auguste Winter. He graduated from the Gymnasium der Residenzstadt, where one of his colleagues and lifelong friends was writer Heinrich Seidel.
Flemming trained in medicine at the University of Prague, graduating in 1868. Afterwards, he served in 1870–71 as a military physician in the Franco-Prussian War. From 1873 to 1876 he worked as a teacher at the University of Prague. In 1876 he accepted a post as a professor of anatomy at the University of Kiel. He became the director of the Anatomical Institute and stayed there until his death.
With the use of aniline dyes he was able to find a structure which strongly absorbed basophilic dyes, which he named chromatin. He identified that chromatin was correlated to threadlike structures in the cell nucleus – the chromosomes (meaning coloured bodies), which were named thus later by German anatomist Wilhelm von Waldeyer-Hartz (1841–1923). The Belgian scientist Edouard Van Beneden (1846–1910) had also observed them, independently. The centrosome was discovered jointly by Walther Flemming in 1875 [1][2] and Edouard Van Beneden in 1876.[3][4]
Flemming investigated the process of cell division and the distribution of chromosomes to the daughter nuclei, a process he called mitosis from the Greek word for thread. However, he did not see the splitting into identical halves, the daughter chromatids. He studied mitosis both in vivo and in stained preparations, using as the source of biological material the fins and gills of salamanders. These results were published first in 1878[5] and in 1882 in the seminal book Zellsubstanz, Kern und Zelltheilung (1882; Cell substance, nucleus and cell division). On the basis of his discoveries, Flemming surmised for the first time that all cell nuclei came from another predecessor nucleus (he coined the phrase omnis nucleus e nucleo, after Virchow'somnis cellula e cellula).
Polytene chromosomes in a Chironimus salivary gland cell, one of over 100 drawings from Flemming's book Zellsubstanz, Kern und Zelltheilung, 1885
Illustrations of cells with chromosomes and mitosis, from the book Zellsubstanz, Kern und Zelltheilung, 1882
Flemming is also known for his philanthropy. He weekly fed those who were homeless, donating every year, 20% of his salary to homeless shelters. He taught especially young children who were too poor to attend school about mathematics and science.
Flemming was unaware of the work of Gregor Mendel (1822–84) on heredity, so he did not make the connection between his observations and genetic inheritance. Two decades would pass before the significance of Flemming's work was truly realized with the rediscovery of Mendel's rules. The Science Channel named Flemming's discovery of mitosis and chromosomes as one of the 100 most important scientific discoveries of all time, and one of the 10 most important discoveries in cell biology.[6]
Flemming's name is honoured by a medal awarded by the German Society for Cell Biology (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Zellbiologie).[7]
References
^Flemming, W. (1875). Studien uber die Entwicklungsgeschichte der Najaden. Sitzungsgeber. Akad. Wiss. Wien 71, 81–147
^Bloodgood RA. From central to rudimentary to primary: the history of an underappreciated organelle whose time has come. The primary cilium. Methods Cell Biol. 2009;94:3-52. doi: 10.1016/S0091-679X(08)94001-2. Epub 2009 Dec 23. PMID 20362083.
^Van Beneden, E. (1876). Contribution a l'histoire de la vesiculaire germinative et du premier noyau embryonnaire. Bull. Acad. R. Belg (2me series) 42, 35–97.
^Bloodgood RA. From central to rudimentary to primary: the history of an underappreciated organelle whose time has come. The primary cilium. Methods Cell Biol. 2009;94:3-52. doi: 10.1016/S0091-679X(08)94001-2. Epub 2009 Dec 23. PMID 20362083.
^Flemming, W. (1878). "Zur Kenntniss der Zelle und ihrer Theilungs-Erscheinungen" (PDF). Schriften des Naturwissenschaftlichen Vereins für Schleswig-Holstein. 3: 23–27.
^Science, Carnegie (28 March 2005). "100 Greatest Discoveries | Carnegie Institution for Science". carnegiescience.edu. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
^"Zellbiologie.de | Scientific awards". zellbiologie.de. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
Further reading
Lukács (1981). "Walter Flemming, discoverer of chromatin and mitotic cell division". Orvosi Hetilap. 122 (6): 349–50. PMID 7015236.
Flemming, Walther (1879). "Beitrage zur Kenntniss der Zelle und ihrer Lebenserscheinungen". Archiv für Mikroskopische Anatomie. 16 (1): 302. doi:10.1007/BF02956386. S2CID 84356671. and Flemming, Walther (1880). "Beiträge zur Kenntniss der Zelle und Ihrer Lebenserscheinungen". Archiv für Mikroskopische Anatomie. 18 (1): 151. doi:10.1007/BF02952594. S2CID 87689604. Reprinted in J. Cell Biol. 25:581–589 (1965).[verification needed]
Flemming, W. "Zur Kenntniss der Zelle und ihrer Theilungs-Erscheinungen". In: Schriften des Naturwissenschaftlichen Vereins für Schleswig-Holstein 3 (1878), 23–27. (Reprinted in "Zir Kenntniss der Zelle und ihrer Teilungs-Erscheinungen" (PDF).)
Carlson, E.A. "The Analysis of Mitosis Shifts Attention to the Chromosomes". In: Mendel's Legacy. The Origins of Classical Genetics. p. 24–5, CSHL Press, 2004. ISBN0-87969-675-3.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Walther Flemming.
. Lasker Labs
Zellsubstanz, Kern und Zelltheilung. Original text of the book, as PDF (In German).
. In PDF, in German.
Hardy, P. A., Zacharias, H. (2008): "Walther Flemming und die Mitose: Der Beitrag seiner ersten Kieler Jahre". Schr. Naturwiss. Ver. Schlesw.-Holst. 70, 3–15. Paper about his first description of mitosis. In German. "Walther Flemming und die Mitose: Der Beitrag seiner ersten Kieler Jahre" (PDF). Retrieved 16 March 2010.
January 06, 2023
walther, flemming, april, 1843, august, 1905, german, biologist, founder, cytogenetics, born21, april, 1843, 1843, sachsenberg, mecklenburg, schwerin, germanydied4, august, 1905, 1905, aged, kiel, germanyeducationuniversity, rostock, university, pragueknown, f. Walther Flemming 21 April 1843 4 August 1905 was a German biologist and a founder of cytogenetics Walther FlemmingBorn21 April 1843 1843 04 21 Sachsenberg Mecklenburg Schwerin GermanyDied4 August 1905 1905 08 05 aged 62 Kiel GermanyEducationUniversity of Rostock University of PragueKnown forCytogenetics mitosis chromosomes chromatinParent s Carl Friedrich Flemming and Auguste WinterScientific careerInstitutionsUniversity of Prague University of KielHe was born in Sachsenberg now part of Schwerin as the fifth child and only son of the psychiatrist Carl Friedrich Flemming 1799 1880 and his second wife Auguste Winter He graduated from the Gymnasium der Residenzstadt where one of his colleagues and lifelong friends was writer Heinrich Seidel Contents 1 Career 2 References 3 Further reading 4 External linksCareer EditFlemming trained in medicine at the University of Prague graduating in 1868 Afterwards he served in 1870 71 as a military physician in the Franco Prussian War From 1873 to 1876 he worked as a teacher at the University of Prague In 1876 he accepted a post as a professor of anatomy at the University of Kiel He became the director of the Anatomical Institute and stayed there until his death With the use of aniline dyes he was able to find a structure which strongly absorbed basophilic dyes which he named chromatin He identified that chromatin was correlated to threadlike structures in the cell nucleus the chromosomes meaning coloured bodies which were named thus later by German anatomist Wilhelm von Waldeyer Hartz 1841 1923 The Belgian scientist Edouard Van Beneden 1846 1910 had also observed them independently The centrosome was discovered jointly by Walther Flemming in 1875 1 2 and Edouard Van Beneden in 1876 3 4 Flemming investigated the process of cell division and the distribution of chromosomes to the daughter nuclei a process he called mitosis from the Greek word for thread However he did not see the splitting into identical halves the daughter chromatids He studied mitosis both in vivo and in stained preparations using as the source of biological material the fins and gills of salamanders These results were published first in 1878 5 and in 1882 in the seminal book Zellsubstanz Kern und Zelltheilung 1882 Cell substance nucleus and cell division On the basis of his discoveries Flemming surmised for the first time that all cell nuclei came from another predecessor nucleus he coined the phrase omnis nucleus e nucleo after Virchow s omnis cellula e cellula Polytene chromosomes in a Chironimus salivary gland cell one of over 100 drawings from Flemming s book Zellsubstanz Kern und Zelltheilung 1885 Illustrations of cells with chromosomes and mitosis from the book Zellsubstanz Kern und Zelltheilung 1882 Flemming is also known for his philanthropy He weekly fed those who were homeless donating every year 20 of his salary to homeless shelters He taught especially young children who were too poor to attend school about mathematics and science Flemming was unaware of the work of Gregor Mendel 1822 84 on heredity so he did not make the connection between his observations and genetic inheritance Two decades would pass before the significance of Flemming s work was truly realized with the rediscovery of Mendel s rules The Science Channel named Flemming s discovery of mitosis and chromosomes as one of the 100 most important scientific discoveries of all time and one of the 10 most important discoveries in cell biology 6 Flemming s name is honoured by a medal awarded by the German Society for Cell Biology Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Zellbiologie 7 References Edit Flemming W 1875 Studien uber die Entwicklungsgeschichte der Najaden Sitzungsgeber Akad Wiss Wien 71 81 147 Bloodgood RA From central to rudimentary to primary the history of an underappreciated organelle whose time has come The primary cilium Methods Cell Biol 2009 94 3 52 doi 10 1016 S0091 679X 08 94001 2 Epub 2009 Dec 23 PMID 20362083 Van Beneden E 1876 Contribution a l histoire de la vesiculaire germinative et du premier noyau embryonnaire Bull Acad R Belg 2me series 42 35 97 Bloodgood RA From central to rudimentary to primary the history of an underappreciated organelle whose time has come The primary cilium Methods Cell Biol 2009 94 3 52 doi 10 1016 S0091 679X 08 94001 2 Epub 2009 Dec 23 PMID 20362083 Flemming W 1878 Zur Kenntniss der Zelle und ihrer Theilungs Erscheinungen PDF Schriften des Naturwissenschaftlichen Vereins fur Schleswig Holstein 3 23 27 Science Carnegie 28 March 2005 100 Greatest Discoveries Carnegie Institution for Science carnegiescience edu Retrieved 10 June 2016 Zellbiologie de Scientific awards zellbiologie de Retrieved 10 June 2016 Further reading EditLukacs 1981 Walter Flemming discoverer of chromatin and mitotic cell division Orvosi Hetilap 122 6 349 50 PMID 7015236 Latronico 2000 Heredity constitution and diathesis Minerva Pediatrica 52 1 2 81 115 PMID 10829597 Breathnach 1982 Biographical sketches No 18 Flemming Irish Medical Journal 75 6 177 PMID 7050007 Paweletz 2001 Walther Flemming pioneer of mitosis research Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology 2 1 72 5 doi 10 1038 35048077 PMID 11413469 S2CID 205011982 Flemming Walther 1879 Beitrage zur Kenntniss der Zelle und ihrer Lebenserscheinungen Archiv fur Mikroskopische Anatomie 16 1 302 doi 10 1007 BF02956386 S2CID 84356671 and Flemming Walther 1880 Beitrage zur Kenntniss der Zelle und Ihrer Lebenserscheinungen Archiv fur Mikroskopische Anatomie 18 1 151 doi 10 1007 BF02952594 S2CID 87689604 Reprinted in J Cell Biol 25 581 589 1965 verification needed Flemming W Zur Kenntniss der Zelle und ihrer Theilungs Erscheinungen In Schriften des Naturwissenschaftlichen Vereins fur Schleswig Holstein 3 1878 23 27 Reprinted in Zir Kenntniss der Zelle und ihrer Teilungs Erscheinungen PDF Carlson E A The Analysis of Mitosis Shifts Attention to the Chromosomes In Mendel s Legacy The Origins of Classical Genetics p 24 5 CSHL Press 2004 ISBN 0 87969 675 3 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Walther Flemming Walther Flemming Biography Lasker Labs Zellsubstanz Kern und Zelltheilung Original text of the book as PDF In German Walter Flemming Medaille In PDF in German Hardy P A Zacharias H 2008 Walther Flemming und die Mitose Der Beitrag seiner ersten Kieler Jahre Schr Naturwiss Ver Schlesw Holst 70 3 15 Paper about his first description of mitosis In German Walther Flemming und die Mitose Der Beitrag seiner ersten Kieler Jahre PDF Retrieved 16 March 2010 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Walther Flemming amp oldid 1098476310, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
