I.I. Mechnikov. Touches to the portrait (to the 175th birthday)

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the memory of an outstanding microbiologist, embryologist, zoologist, immunologist, founder of the doctrine of phagocytosis and of the theory of immunity, one of the founders of comparative pathology of inflammation, the founder of scientific gerontology, the first Ukrainian Nobel prizewinner, a great Man of the World — I.I. Mechnikov. A brilliant scientist was born on May 3, 1845, in the village of Ivanovka of Kharkov province. Since childhood, he already felt an interest in the biological sciences. After graduating Kharkov Gymnasium with a gold medal, he two years studied the four-year program of Kharkov University in two years. In 1867, he defended his master’s dissertation and a year later his doctoral thesis. From 1870 tо 1882, he was an ordinary professor of zoology and comparative anatomy at Odessa University. Then he made the greatest discovery — phagocytic theory of immunity, the development of which he devoted the next 25 years of life. In 1883, the scientist worked in Paris at the Pasteur Institute, where he engaged in the study of infectious diseases, issues of inflammatory processes in comparative-evolutionary aspect, etc. In the works of I. Mechnikov, the problems of orthobiotic and ageing hold a significant place. A brilliant scientist died on July 2, 1916, in Paris. The wise man — the man of the world is known all over the world. Ukraine pays worthy tribute to his memory expressed in the names of the higher research institutions, hospitals, streets, monuments, memorial plaques of the scientist.

Keywords

• the way of life of the academician i.i. mechnikov
• the first ukrainian nobel prizeman
• great man of the world