Paul Langerhans

Paul Langerhans

Paul Langerhans (1847 - 1888) German pathologist & biologist. Langerhans was an outstanding scholar who during his undergraduate years described the Langerhans' cells in the skin, whose function was not discovered until nearly a century later. He was also the first to describe the group of cells now known as the islets of Langerhans, though he could not identify their function correctly. His illness from tuberculosis made him retire early from his career as Professor of Pathology. He settled in the island of Madeira seeking a cure, where he developed a strong interest in the study of certain marine worms, one of which he named Virchowia after his former mentor and friend, the famous pathologist Rudolf Virchow. He also studied meteorology, wrote a travel book on Madeira and tried to treat patients suffering from tuberculosis in the island. He died at the age of 41 from complications of his illness.