Carl von Voit (31 October 1831 – 31 January 1908) was a German
physiologist
Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical a ...
and
dietitian
A dietitian, medical dietitian, or dietician is an expert in identifying and treating disease-related malnutrition and in conducting medical nutrition therapy, for example designing an enteral tube feeding regimen or mitigating the effects of ca ...
.
Biography
Voit was born in
Amberg
Amberg () is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in the Upper Palatinate, roughly halfway between Regensburg and Bayreuth. In 2020, over 42,000 people lived in the town.
History
The town was first mentioned in 1034, at that time under t ...
, the son of
August von Voit
Richard Jakob August von Voit (17 February 1801 in Wassertrüdingen – 12 December 1870 in Munich) was a German architect specializing in glass and iron structures.
Notable projects
Voit designed the city hall of Annweiler am Trifels (Rhinela ...
and Mathilde Burgett. From 1848 to 1854 he studied at the universities of
Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...
and
Würzburg
Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is a city in the region of Franconia in the north of the German state of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the ''Regierungsbezirk'' Lower Franconia. It spans the banks of the Main River.
Würzburg is ...
. At Munich, his teachers were
Justus von Liebig
Justus Freiherr von Liebig (12 May 1803 – 20 April 1873) was a German scientist who made major contributions to agricultural and biological chemistry, and is considered one of the principal founders of organic chemistry. As a professor at t ...
and
Max Joseph Pettenkofer, and at Würzburg, he was a pupil of
Albert von Kölliker
Albert von Kölliker (born Rudolf Albert Kölliker'';'' 6 July 18172 November 1905) was a Swiss anatomist, physiologist, and histologist.
Biography
Albert Kölliker was born in Zurich, Switzerland. His early education was carried on in Zurich, ...
. In 1855 he furthered his education at the
University of Göttingen
The University of Göttingen, officially the Georg August University of Göttingen, (german: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, known informally as Georgia Augusta) is a public research university in the city of Göttingen, Germany. Founded ...
under chemist
Friedrich Wohler, and in 1856/57 served as an assistant to
Theodor von Bischoff
Theodor Ludwig Wilhelm von Bischoff (28 October 1807 in Hannover – 5 December 1882 in Munich) was a German physician and biologist.
Biography
He lectured on pathological anatomy at Heidelberg (1835-1843) and held professorships in anatomy and ...
in Munich. In 1857 he obtained his
habilitation
Habilitation is the highest university degree, or the procedure by which it is achieved, in many European countries. The candidate fulfills a university's set criteria of excellence in research, teaching and further education, usually including a ...
, and from 1863 was a full professor of physiology as well as curator of the physiological collection at the University of Munich.
VOIT, Carl Michael von Voit
drw.saw-leipzig.de
Contributions
Carl von Voit is considered by many to be the "father" of modern dietetics
A dietitian, medical dietitian, or dietician is an expert in identifying and treating disease-related malnutrition and in conducting medical nutrition therapy, for example designing an enteral tube feeding regimen or mitigating the effects of ca ...
. As a chemist
A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties. Chemists carefully describe th ...
and physiologist, he found that the amount of nitrogen
Nitrogen is the chemical element with the symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a nonmetal and the lightest member of group 15 of the periodic table, often called the pnictogens. It is a common element in the universe, estimated at se ...
in excreted urea
Urea, also known as carbamide, is an organic compound with chemical formula . This amide has two amino groups (–) joined by a carbonyl functional group (–C(=O)–). It is thus the simplest amide of carbamic acid.
Urea serves an important r ...
is a measure for the protein turnover
In cell biology, protein turnover refers to the replacement of older proteins as they are broken down within the cell. Different types of proteins have very different turnover rates.
A balance between protein synthesis and protein degradation is ...
. Using a respiration chamber
Respiration may refer to:
Biology
* Cellular respiration, the process in which nutrients are converted into useful energy in a cell
** Anaerobic respiration, cellular respiration without oxygen
** Maintenance respiration, the amount of cellula ...
, he could characterize the significance of individual nutrients, known as ''Voitsche Kostmaß''.
He was also a successful teacher, attracting international students to the University of Munich and thus significantly influencing the US nutritionist, among others. One of his better known German pupils was Max Rubner
Max Rubner (2 June 1854, Munich27 April 1932, Berlin) was a German physiologist and hygienist.
Academic career
He studied at the University of Munich and worked as an assistant under Adolf von Baeyer and Carl von Voit (doctorate 1878). Later ...
.
Carl von Voit died in Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...
.
The German Nutrition Society
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
has been awarding the Carl-von-Voit-medal since 1961.
Works
* ''Die Gesetze der Ernährung des Fleischfressers'' (Leipzig 1860)
* ''Über die Wirkung des Kochsalzes, des Kaffees und der Muskelbewegung auf den Stoffwechsel'' (Munich 1860)
* ''Über die Kost in öffentlichen Anstalten'' (Munich 1876)
* ''Untersuchung der Kost in einigen öffentlichen Anstalten'' (Munich 1877)
* ''Über die Entwickelung der Erkenntnis'' (Munich 1879)
* ''Physiologie des allgemeinen Stoffwechsels und der Ernährung'' (volume 6, first section of Ludimar Hermann
Ludimar Hermann (October 31, 1838 – June 5, 1914) was a German physiology, physiologist and phonetics, speech scientist who used the Thomas Edison, Edison phonograph to test theories of vowel production, particularly those of Robert Willis ( ...
's "Handbuch der Physiologie", Leipzig 1881)
* ''Zeitschrift für Biologie'' (as publisher, together with Ludwig von Buhl Ludwig von Buhl (4 January 1816 – 30 July 1880) was a German pathologist born in Munich.
He studied medicine in Munich and Vienna, and in 1847 was habilitated as a lecturer of pathological anatomy and microscopy at the University of Munich. In 18 ...
und Max von Pettenkofer
Max Joseph Pettenkofer, ennobled in 1883 as Max Joseph von Pettenkofer (3 December 1818 – 10 February 1901) was a Bavarian chemist and hygienist. He is known for his work in practical hygiene, as an apostle of good water, fresh air and proper s ...
)
References
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External links
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1831 births
1908 deaths
Dietitians
People from Amberg
German physiologists
Science teachers
Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich faculty
{{Germany-biologist-stub