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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /> <title>Theodor Schwann :: DNA from the Beginning</title> <meta name="description" content="Biography of Theodor Schwann from Concept 6: Genes are real things, DNA from the Beginning" /> <link rel="preload" as="style" src="/css/main.css"> <link rel="preload" as="script" src="/js/swfobject.js"> <link rel="preload" as="script" src="/js/prototype-1.6.1.js"> <link href="/css/main.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <link href='https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Droid+Serif' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'/> <link href='https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Droid+Sans' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'/> <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/swfobject.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/prototype-1.6.1.js"></script> </head> <body> <div id="container"> <div id="content"> <div id="header"> <div class="rollover-home"> <a href="/" class="rollover-home" title="DNA from the Beginning Home"><span class="displace">Home</span></a> </div> </div>  <div id="content-container"> <h1><span> Concept 6</span> Genes are real things.</h1> <div id="nav"> <ul> <li class="menu1"><a href="index.html" title="CONCEPT" ><span class="displace">CONCEPT</span></a></li> <li class="menu2"><a href="animation.html" title="ANIMATION"><span class="displace">ANIMATION</span></a></li> <li class="menu3"><a href="gallery.html" title="GALLERY"><span class="displace">GALLERY</span></a></li> <li class="menu4"><a href="av.html" title="VIDEO"><span class="displace">VIDEO</span></a></li> <li class="menu5"><a href="bio.html" title="BIO"><span class="displace">BIO</span></a></li> <li class="menu6"><a href="problem.html" title="PROBLEM"><span class="displace">PROBLEM</span></a></li> <li class="menu7"><a href="links.html" title="LINKS" ><span class="displace">LINKS</span></a></li> </ul> <br class="clearfloat" /> </div> <div id="bio" > <p> <a href="/6/bio.html"><img src="/images/6/bio_de_vries_thumb.jpg" alt="Hugo de Vries" class="floatLeft"/></a> <a href="/6/bio-2.html"><img src="/images/6/bio_correns_thumb.jpg" alt="Carl Correns" class="floatLeft" /></a> <a href="/6/bio-3.html"><img src="/images/6/bio_tschermak_seysenegg_thumb.jpg" alt="Erich von Tschermak-Seysenegg" class="floatLeft" /></a> <a href="/6/bio-4.html"><img src="/images/6/bio_hooke_thumb.jpg" alt="Robert Hooke" class="floatLeft" /></a> <a href="/6/bio-5.html"><img src="/images/6/bio_schwann_thumb.jpg" alt="Theodor Schwann" class="floatLeft" /></a> <a href="/6/bio.html">Hugo de Vries</a>, <a href="/6/bio-2.html">Carl Correns</a> and <a href="/6/bio-3.html">Erich von Tschermak-Seysenegg</a> were the three scientists who rediscovered Mendel's laws in 1900. They were all working independently on different plant hybrids, and came to the same conclusions about inheritance as Mendel. <a href="/6/bio-4.html">Robert Hooke</a> was one of the first scientists to describe a cell. <a href="/6/bio-5.html">Theodor Schwann</a> redefined the cell as a living unit.<br class="clearfloat" /></p> <div id="people-list"> <ul> <li><span class="small">Go to:</span></li> <li><a href="/6/bio.html">Hugo de Vries (1848-1935)</a></li> <li><a href="/6/bio-2.html">Carl Erich Correns (1864-1933)</a></li> <li><a href="/6/bio-3.html">Erich von Tschermak (1871-1962)</a></li> <li><a href="/6/bio-4.html">Robert Hooke (1635-1703)</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="bio-current4"> <h2>Theodor Schwann (1810-1882) </h2> </div> <br class="clearfloat" /> <div id="border"></div> <img src="/images/6/6ebio.gif" alt="Theodor Schwann" class="floatRight" /> <p>Theodor Schwann was born in Neuss, Germany. He studied medicine in <a href = "http://www.berlin-info.de/index_e.html">Berlin</a>, and after graduation went on to do an assistantship in anatomy. In 1838, Schwann and Matthias Jakob Schleiden (1804-1881) developed the "cell theory." Schwann went on and published his monograph <i>Microscopic Researches into Accordance in the Structure and Growth of Animals and Plants</i> in 1839. In the monograph, Schwann identified the common features of all cells — plants and animals, and he illustrated many different cell types. Although Schwann did change the definition of cell by stressing the internal cellular components, he believed incorrectly that cells could arise from assembly of cellular fluids. In 1839, Schwann was appointed Professor of Anatomy at the <a href = "http://www.uclouvain.be/">University of Louvain</a>. In 1848 he moved to Liège where he taught physiology and comparative anatomy.</p> <div id="factoid-bio"> <img src="/images/general/factoid.gif" alt="factoid" class="factoid-image" /> <img src="/images/general/didyouknow.jpg" alt="Did you know ?" /> <p>Theodor Schwann recognized that eggs, ova, are cells. In 1841, sperm were classified as cells when they were seen developing from testis cells.</p> <img src="/images/general/hmmm.jpg" alt="Hmmm..." /> <p>What is the largest single cell in existence?</p> </div>  </p> </div> </div> <br class="clearfloat" /> <div id="footer"> <ul> <li><a href="/">Home</a></li> <li><a href="/sitemap.html">Site Map</a></li> <li><a href="/scientists.html">Scientists</a></li> <li><a href="/glossary.html">Glossary</a></li> <li><a href="/feedback.html">Feedback</a></li> <li><a href="/awards.html">Awards</a></li> <li><a href="/credits.html">Credits</a></li> <li><a href="http://blogs.dnalc.org/dnaftb/" style="background-image:none;">Blog</a></li> </ul> <p> Funded by <a href="http://macyfoundation.org">The Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation</a><br /> © 2002 - 2011, <a href="http://www.dnalc.org/"> DNA Learning Center</a>, <a href="https://www.cshl.edu/">Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</a>. All rights reserved. </p> </div>  </div> <div id="sidebar"> <div id="search" > <form method="get" action="/search"> <div class="fieldHolder1"> <input type="search" id="q" name="q" placeholder="Search" onclick="this.value=''" value="" /> <img style="background-color:#9C0;" src="/images/general/search_icon.jpg" alt="Search" onclick="document.forms[0].submit()" /> </div> </form> </div>  <div id="sidebar"> <ul class="sections-side sections-side1a" style="padding-top: 56px; margin-top: 3px;"> <li ><a href="/1/"><img src="/images/thumbnails/1-thumb-sm.png" alt="1." />Children resemble their parents.</a></li> <li ><a href="/2/"><img src="/images/thumbnails/2-thumb-sm.png" alt="2." />Genes come in pairs.</a></li> <li ><a href="/3/"><img src="/images/thumbnails/3-thumb-sm.png" alt="3." />Genes don't blend.</a></li> <li ><a href="/4/"><img src="/images/thumbnails/4-thumb-sm.png" alt="4." />Some genes are dominant.</a></li> <li ><a href="/5/"><img src="/images/thumbnails/5-thumb-sm.png" alt="5." />Genetic inheritance follows rules.</a></li> <li ><a class="concept-highlight" href="/6/"><img src="/images/thumbnails/6-thumb-sm.png" alt="6." />Genes are real things.</a></li> <li ><a href="/7/"><img src="/images/thumbnails/7-thumb-sm.png" alt="7." />All cells arise from pre-existing cells.</a></li> <li ><a href="/8/"><img src="/images/thumbnails/8-thumb-sm.png" alt="8." />Sex cells have one set of chromosomes; body cells have two.</a></li> <li ><a href="/9/"><img src="/images/thumbnails/9-thumb-sm.png" alt="9." />Specialized chromosomes determine sex.</a></li> <li ><a href="/10/"><img src="/images/thumbnails/10-thumb-sm.png" alt="10." />Chromosomes carry genes.</a></li> <li ><a href="/11/"><img src="/images/thumbnails/11-thumb-sm.png" alt="11." />Genes get shuffled when chromosomes exchange pieces.</a></li> <li ><a href="/12/"><img src="/images/thumbnails/12-thumb-sm.png" alt="12." />Evolution begins with the inheritance of gene variations.</a></li> <li ><a href="/13/"><img src="/images/thumbnails/13-thumb-sm.png" alt="13." />Mendelian laws apply to human beings.</a></li> <li style="border-bottom: 1px solid #669;"><a href="/14/"><img src="/images/thumbnails/14-thumb-sm.png" alt="14." />Mendelian genetics cannot fully explain human health and behavior.</a></li> </ul> <ul class="menu-side"> <li class="section2"><a href="/15/index.html" title="Molecules of Genetics"><span class="displace">MOLECULES OF GENETICS</span></a></li> <li class="section3" ><a href="/29/index.html" title="Genetic Organization and Control"><span class="displace">GENETIC ORGANIZATION AND CONTROL</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div>  <br class="clearfloat" /> </div>  <script type="text/javascript"> Event.observe(window, 'load', function() { var uri = '/6/bio-5.html'; uri = uri.replace(/-\d/,''); $('nav').down().descendants().each(function(s) { if (s.nodeName == 'A') { if (s.href.match(uri)) { s.addClassName('current'); throw $break; } } }); }); </script> <script type="text/javascript"> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-1818773-10']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = 'https://www.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); </script>  <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-K6EHFCRJBP"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-K6EHFCRJBP'); </script> </body> </html>