Heinrich Müller (physiologist)
Encyclopedia
Heinrich Müller was a German anatomist and professor at the University of Würzburg
. He is best known for his work in comparative anatomy
and his studies involving the eye.
He was a native of Castell
, Lower Franconia
. In 1843 he received his habilitation, and from 1858 was a full professor of topographical and comparative anatomy
.
In 1851 Müller noticed the red color in rod cells known as rhodopsin
or visual purple, which is a pigment in the rods of the retina
. However, Franz Christian Boll
(1849-1879) is credited as the discoverer of rhodopsin because he was able to describe its visual pigment cycle. Müller also described the fibers of neuroglia cells that make up the supporting framework of the retina. This structure was to become known as "Müller's fibers".
In 1856 Müller and Swiss physiologist Albert von Kölliker
became the first to discover that the contractions of a frog's heart produce an electrical current.
University of Würzburg
The University of Würzburg is a university in Würzburg, Germany, founded in 1402. The university is a member of the distinguished Coimbra Group.-Name:...
. He is best known for his work in comparative anatomy
Comparative anatomy
Comparative anatomy is the study of similarities and differences in the anatomy of organisms. It is closely related to evolutionary biology and phylogeny .-Description:...
and his studies involving the eye.
He was a native of Castell
Castell, Bavaria
Castell is a municipality in the district of Kitzingen in Bavaria in Germany. It was the seat of the Counts of Castell....
, Lower Franconia
Lower Franconia
Lower Franconia is one of the three administrative regions of Franconia in Bavaria , Germany ....
. In 1843 he received his habilitation, and from 1858 was a full professor of topographical and comparative anatomy
Comparative anatomy
Comparative anatomy is the study of similarities and differences in the anatomy of organisms. It is closely related to evolutionary biology and phylogeny .-Description:...
.
In 1851 Müller noticed the red color in rod cells known as rhodopsin
Rhodopsin
Rhodopsin, also known as visual purple, is a biological pigment of the retina that is responsible for both the formation of the photoreceptor cells and the first events in the perception of light. Rhodopsins belong to the G-protein coupled receptor family and are extremely sensitive to light,...
or visual purple, which is a pigment in the rods of 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...
. However, 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 ....
(1849-1879) is credited as the discoverer of rhodopsin because he was able to describe its visual pigment cycle. Müller also described the fibers of neuroglia cells that make up the supporting framework of the retina. This structure was to become known as "Müller's fibers".
In 1856 Müller and Swiss physiologist Albert von Kölliker
Albert von Kölliker
Albert von Kölliker was a Swiss anatomist and physiologist.-Biography:Albert Kölliker was born in Zurich, Switzerland. His early education was carried on in Zurich, and he entered the university there in 1836...
became the first to discover that the contractions of a frog's heart produce an electrical current.
Additional eponyms
- Müller's muscle: Circular portion of the ciliary muscleCiliary muscleThe ciliary muscle is a ring of striated smooth muscle in the eye's middle layer that controls accommodation for viewing objects at varying distances and regulates the flow of aqueous humour into Schlemm's canal. It changes the shape of the lens within the eye not the size of the pupil which is...
of the eye. Also called Rouget's muscle after French physiologist Charles Marie Benjamin RougetCharles Marie Benjamin RougetCharles Marie Benjamin Rouget was a French physiologist born in Gisors, Eure. He studied at the Collège Sainte-Barbe with medical training at hospitals in Paris. He was later a professor of physiology at the University of Montpellier.Rouget is largely remembered for his correlation of physiology...
(1824-1904), and sometimes "Müller-Rouget muscle" in honor of both men. - Müller's trigone: Part of tuber cinereumTuber cinereumThe tuber cinereum is a hollow eminence of gray matter situated between the mammillary bodies and the optic chiasm. The tuber cinereum is part of the hypothalamus.-Structure:...
folding over the optic chiasmOptic chiasmThe optic chiasm or optic chiasma is the part of the brain where the optic nerves partially cross...
of the brain.
Partial bibliography
- Nachweis der negativen Schwankung des Muskelstroms am naturlich sich contrahirenden Muskel. Verhandlungen der Physikalisch-medizinische Gesellschaft in Würzburg, 1856, 6: 528-533. By Rudolph Albert von Kölliker (1817-1905) and Heinrich Müller
- Zur Histologie der Netzhaut. Zeitschrift für Wissenschaftliche Zoologie, 1851, 3: 234-237. Discovery of visual purple.
External Reference
- Heinrich Müller @ Who Named ItWho Named ItWho Named It? is an English-language dictionary of medical eponyms and the people associated with their identification. Though this is a dictionary, many eponyms and persons are presented in extensive articles with comprehensive bibliographies. It is hosted in Norway and maintained by medical...