Franz Julius Ferdinand Meyen (1804-1840)

Franz Julius Ferdinand Meyen (28 June 1804 – 2 September 1840) was a

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...

n physician and

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

. Meyen was born in

Tilsit Sovetsk (russian: Сове́тск; german: Tilsit; Old Prussian: ''Tilzi''; lt, Tilžė; pl, Tylża) is a town in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the south bank of the Neman River which forms the border with Lithuania. Geography Sov ...

East Prussia East Prussia ; german: Ostpreißen, label=Low Prussian; pl, Prusy Wschodnie; lt, Rytų Prūsija was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 187 ...

. In 1830 he wrote ''Phytotomie'', the first major study of

plant anatomy Plant anatomy or phytotomy is the general term for the study of the internal structure of plants. Originally it included plant morphology, the description of the physical form and external structure of plants, but since the mid-20th century plant ...

. Between 1830 and 1832, he took part in an expedition to South America on board the ''Prinzess Luise'', visiting

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

and

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

, describing species then new to science such as the

Humboldt penguin The Humboldt penguin (''Spheniscus humboldti'') is a medium-sized penguin. It resides in South America, its range mainly contains most of coastal Peru. Its nearest relatives are the African penguin, the Magellanic penguin and the Galápagos peng ...

. From 1823 to 1826, he studied medicine at the

University of Berlin Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (german: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a German public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin. It was established by Frederick William III on the initiative o ...

, followed by service as a military surgeon at the

Charité The Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Charité – Berlin University of Medicine) is one of Europe's largest university hospitals, affiliated with Humboldt University and Free University Berlin. With numerous Collaborative Research Cen ...

in Berlin. In 1834 he became an associate professor of botany in Berlin. With

Heinrich Friedrich Link Johann Heinrich Friedrich Link (2 February 1767 – 1 January 1851) was a German naturalist and botanist. Biography Link was born at Hildesheim as a son of the minister August Heinrich Link (1738–1783), who taught him love of nature throu ...

, he was co-editor of the journal ''Jahresberichte über die Arbeiten für physiologische Botanik'' (1837–1839).Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Berlin
biography He died in Berlin in 1840.

Honoria

*The plant genus ''Meyenia'' commemorates his name.CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names: Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms
by Umberto Quattrocchi *The stingray '' Taeniurops meyeni'' ( J. P. Müller &

Henle Henle can refer to: * Friedrich Gustav Jakob Henle, a German physician, pathologist and anatomist (1809–1885) ** Loop of Henle in the kidney, named after Henle *Fritz Henle, a photographer, known as "Mr. Rollei" for his use of the 2.25" square for ...

, 1841) was named after him.

Selected works

* 1828, ''Anatomisch-physiologische Untersuchungen über den Inhalt der Pflanzenzellen'', Berlin: Hirschwald. * 1830, ''Phytotomie''. * 1837, ''Ueber die Secretions-Organe der Pflanzen''. Berlin: Morin art of: Müller Library * 1837, ''Neues System der Pflanzen-Physiologie.'' Erster Band. Berlin: Haude & Spener. * 1838, ''Jahresbericht über die Resultate der Arbeiten im Felde der physiologischen Botanik von dem Jahre 1837'', Berlin: Nicolai'sche Buchhandlung * 1839, ''Jahresbericht über die Resultate der Arbeiten im Felde der physiologischen Botanik von dem Jahre 1838'', Berlin: Nicolai'sche Buchhandlung.

References

1804 births 1840 deaths Bryologists Botanists with author abbreviations Botanists active in South America 19th-century German physicians 19th-century German botanists German ornithologists People from Tilsit People from East Prussia Pteridologists {{Germany-med-bio-stub

Honoria

See also

Selected works

References