Arthur Looss
Encyclopedia
Arthur Looss was a German
zoologist
and parasitologist
. Looss was born in 1861 in Chemnitz
, and was educated both there and in Łódź, Poland
. Thereafter, he studied at the University of Leipzig
, where he received a doctorate
for his study of trematodes.
Looss was sent by Rudolf Leuckart
to Egypt
to study the transmission of bilharzia, where he became accidentally infected with hookworm
, and in so doing discovered the method by which the larva
e penetrate the skin. He spilt some larval culture onto his hand in 1896, while dropping it into the mouths of guinea pig
s; observing the irritation this caused to his skin, he hypothesised that infection pass through the skin. He examined his faeces
at intervals and found hookworm eggs in it a few weeks later. The paper he wrote about the life cycle
of the hookworm is considered a classic in the field . He later described the species as Ancylostoma duodenale .
Looss continued to work as a professor of parasitology and biology in Egypt until the outbreak of the First World War
. It is reported that "Looss' enthusiasm and energy as a research worker have probably seldom been surpassed, and all his work was characterized by a painstaking attention to detail that is unfortunately rare" .
Looss died on May 4, 1923, in Gießen
, Germany
.
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...
zoologist
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
and parasitologist
Parasitology
Parasitology is the study of parasites, their hosts, and the relationship between them. As a biological discipline, the scope of parasitology is not determined by the organism or environment in question, but by their way of life...
. Looss was born in 1861 in Chemnitz
Chemnitz
Chemnitz is the third-largest city of the Free State of Saxony, Germany. Chemnitz is an independent city which is not part of any county and seat of the government region Direktionsbezirk Chemnitz. Located in the northern foothills of the Ore Mountains, it is a part of the Saxon triangle...
, and was educated both there and in Łódź, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. Thereafter, he studied at the University of Leipzig
University of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
, where he received a 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...
for his study of trematodes.
Looss was sent by Rudolf Leuckart
Rudolf Leuckart
Karl Georg Friedrich Rudolf Leuckart was a German zoologist who was born in Helmstedt. He was a nephew to naturalist Friedrich Sigismund Leuckart ....
to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
to study the transmission of bilharzia, where he became accidentally infected with hookworm
Hookworm
The hookworm is a parasitic nematode that lives in the small intestine of its host, which may be a mammal such as a dog, cat, or human. Two species of hookworms commonly infect humans, Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus. A. duodenale predominates in the Middle East, North Africa, India...
, and in so doing discovered the method by which the larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e penetrate the skin. He spilt some larval culture onto his hand in 1896, while dropping it into the mouths of guinea pig
Guinea pig
The guinea pig , also called the cavy, is a species of rodent belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia. Despite their common name, these animals are not in the pig family, nor are they from Guinea...
s; observing the irritation this caused to his skin, he hypothesised that infection pass through the skin. He examined his faeces
Feces
Feces, faeces, or fæces is a waste product from an animal's digestive tract expelled through the anus or cloaca during defecation.-Etymology:...
at intervals and found hookworm eggs in it a few weeks later. The paper he wrote about the life cycle
Biological life cycle
A life cycle is a period involving all different generations of a species succeeding each other through means of reproduction, whether through asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction...
of the hookworm is considered a classic in the field . He later described the species as Ancylostoma duodenale .
Looss continued to work as a professor of parasitology and biology in Egypt until the outbreak of the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. It is reported that "Looss' enthusiasm and energy as a research worker have probably seldom been surpassed, and all his work was characterized by a painstaking attention to detail that is unfortunately rare" .
Looss died on May 4, 1923, in Gießen
Gießen
Gießen, also spelt Giessen is a town in the German federal state of Hesse, capital of both the district of Gießen and the administrative region of Gießen...
, Germany
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...
.