The biography of Mechnikov is briefly

Awards biography Ilya Mechnikov are an outstanding scientist, whose name is inscribed in gold letters in the history of a number of disciplines from cytology to physiology. The brilliant biologist, the “father” of the phagocytic theory of immunity, appreciated rationalism and science above all, claiming that if it is impossible to “live without faith, the latter cannot be other than faith in the omnipotence of knowledge.” Childhood and youth Ilya Ilyich was born on May 15 in the village of Ivanovka Kharkov province now - Ukraine in a family with an entertaining history.

Father Ilya Ivanovich - a landowner, a guards officer came from a noble noble family. The daughter of the richest man of Poland, the financier and founder of the genre of "Russian-Jewish literature" Lev Nikolayevich Nevakhovich. The uncles were the publisher of the innovative “Eralash” and the head of the repertoire of the imperial theaters. Father was gambling and easy to climb, so by the time of the birth of the youngest son the dowry of the wealthy wife was already wasted, and the family moved to the family estate in Ivanovka.

Two elder brothers Mechnikov also subsequently became known. The lion turned into a Swiss geographer, anarchist and publicist, participated in the Italian movement of Risorjimento, published notes and essays, and the book “Civilization and Great Historical Rivers” managed to influence the famous Irish modernist James Joyce, the author of Ulysses. Ilya Mechnikov in his youth in the biography of his brother Ivan the most remarkable turned out to be his death.

The prosecutor of the Tula District Court suffered from a serious purulent disease, which led to death. The last days and thoughts of this person formed the basis of the story of Leo Tolstoy “The Death of Ivan Ilyich”. Visiting the writer in Yasnaya Polyana, the prosecutor shared his thoughts, for which Tolstoy determined him as an outstanding person who makes an impression. Later, the biologist will say that the genius of Russian literature gave the “best description” of the fear of death.

The family manor in Ivanovka was attended by home teachers. Among them, a medical student who taught the brother of Leo, the only one who was with interest and seriousness to the enthusiasm of young Ilya by natural sciences, craving for experiments, experiments. He graduated from the institution with a gold medal. Throughout his studies, he did not lose interest in biology.

On the contrary, he was happy to attend lectures on comparative anatomy and physiology at Kharkov University. Fascinated by the new world of knowledge, Ilya asks his parents to send him to study in Germany, but the cold reception and lack of money forces the young man to return back as soon as possible after leaving. The main trophy of this “sortie” was the work of Charles Darwin “The Origin of Views”, which acquaintance with which had a great influence on the future scientist.

The portrait of the novice biologist Ilya Mechnikov entered the natural department of the Physics and Mathematics Faculty of Kharkov University. He mastered the student program not in 4 years, but for 2, which gave the young scientist an advantage over colleagues. Later, Mechnikov nevertheless “won” Germany. In M he conducted research on the island of Helgoland, then he worked in the Laboratory of Rudolf Leocket in the German university town of Gysen.

At 20, he moves to Italy, where he meets biologist Alexander Kovalevsky, who will become his ally and a faithful friend. For joint achievements in embryology, boys received a prestigious prize of Karl Baer. Upon returning to Russia, Ilya Ilyich defends consistently a master's, and then a doctoral dissertation, managing the receipt of honorary degrees until the age of 25 was reached.

The science of discovery, committed by Mechnikov, was revolutionary and far from immediately accepted by the scientific community, because ideas turned over already established ideas about the work of the human body upside down. The portrait of Ilya Mechnikov is even the fundamental work of the scientist, the theory of phagocytic immunity, for which he received the Nobel Prize in the field of physiology and medicine in the year, was criticized.

Before Mechnikov, white blood cells were considered passive in the fight against inflammatory processes and diseases. The scientist argued that leukocytes are active defenders of the body who absorb foreign particles that have entered inside. The contribution of the scientist also consists in the fact that modern doctors of the world know that fever is a sign of the struggle of immunity, so it is harmful to knock it down to a certain mark.

Ilya Mechnikov in the office is an interesting fact: it was true to determine the “orderlies of the organism” to him to determine the case. Considering the larvae of marine stars in Italian Messin in the year, he found that mobile cells of phagocytes surround foreign bodies that fall into the larva and “eat” them. Having stuck a pink spike in a larva, he confirmed the theory and then polished the knowledge gained for a quarter century, in parallel, releasing work on bacteriology, embryology, physiology and a number of other disciplines, some of them will become classical.

Ilya Mechnikov at a work in M ​​returned to Russia, settled in Odessa. The epidemiologist Nikolai Gamaley, who studied with Louis Pasteur, came from France, the method of vaccination against rabies.In the same year, scientists opened the second bacteriological station in the world to combat infectious diseases. A year later, Mechnikov immigrates to Paris, where he gets a place at the Pasteur Institute.

According to some reports, the scientist decided to leave due to the hostile mood of the authorities and the scientific community to him. In France, he also gains peace and deserved recognition. Ilya Mechnikov and Louis Pasteur with nurses and sick children working side by side with the greatest minds of the era, writes impressive works about the Hollow, Tif, Tube, Tuberculosis, Chum.

He remained an institute employee until the end of his days, subsequently headed the university. He maintained contact with Russian colleagues, consisted in correspondence with Ivan Sechechenov, Dmitry Mendeleev, Ivan Pavlov. Not only scientific dissertations, research, but also books on philosophical issues, theory of the universe, and religion came out of the pen of Mechnikov.

The indefatigable researcher at the sunset of the era became the founder of scientific gerontology and introduced the theory of orthobiosis: "The correct life based on the study of human nature and the establishment of means to correct its disharmony." Ilya Mechnikov in the laboratory believing that a person can live longer and longer, Mechnikov assigned a special role in strengthening the active longevity of the right diet, hygiene.

Only with a happy existence, in his opinion, a person would fearlessly move from the "instinct of life" to the "instinct of death." He outlined his views in detail in the works of “Studies of Optimism” and “Studies about the nature of man”. Among the factors affecting the quality and expectancy of life, the scientist identified the intestinal microflora. Tarlying for a long and happy life, he popularized the discovery by student with Staman Grigorov Bulgarian lactic acid wand.

In M I wrote an article on the benefits of sour milk. Thanks to Mechnikov, yogurt, kefir and other sour -milk products are included in the everyday diet, supporting the body. Personal life, despite the involvement in science, in the personal life of Mechnikov was an emotional person prone to mood swings. In his youth he suffered from depression and only by the mature years he found inner peace and a positive view of the world.

Ilya Mechnikov and his wife Olga are married twice. With her first wife, Lyudmila Fedorovich was married in m. The bride suffered from tuberculosis and was so weak that she was brought to the church in a chair. After 4 years, Lyudmila died, and the impulsive swordsmen decided to commit suicide by drinking morphine. The dose was too large and caused a gag reflex.

The second wife Olga was his student, a student. The couple did not have children. Death Ilya Ilyich died in the year from heart disease, having experienced a series of myocardial infarction. The monument to Ilya Mechnikov be bequeathed to science with subsequent cremation. The ashes of the scientist is at the Pasteur Institute. Awards - a member of the Petersburg Academy of Sciences - Kopli Medal - Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine - Albert Medal Royal Society of Arts.