Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov
| Élie Metchnikoff | |
|---|---|
Élie Metchnikoff, c. 1908
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| Born | Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov 15 May [O.S. 3 May] 1845 , Kharkov Governorate, Russian Empire |
| Died | 15 July 1916 (aged 71) Paris, France |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Fields | |
| Institutions |
Odessa University University of St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute |
| Alma mater |
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| Known for |
Phagocytosis cell-mediated immunity gerontology |
| Notable awards |
Copley Medal (1906) Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1908) Albert Medal (1916) |
Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov (Russian: Илья́ Ильи́ч Ме́чников, also written as Élie Metchnikoff) (15 May [O.S. 3 May] 1845 – 15 July 1916) was a Russian zoologist best known for his pioneering research in immunology.
In particular, he is credited with the discovery of phagocytes (macrophages) in 1882. This discovery turned out to be the major defence mechanism in innate immunity. He and Paul Ehrlich were jointly awarded the 1908 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "in recognition of their work on immunity". He is also credited by some sources with coining the term gerontology in 1903, for the emerging study of aging and longevity. He established the concept of cell-mediated immunity, while Ehrlich established the concept of humoral immunity. Their works are regarded as the foundation of the science of immunology. In immunology, he is given an epithet the "father of natural immunity".
Mechnikov was born in the village , near Kharkiv, now Kupiansk Raion, Ukraine. He was the youngest of five children of Ilya Ivanovich Mechnikov, a Russian officer of the Imperial Guard. His mother, Emilia Lvovna (Nevakhovich), the daughter of the Jewish writer Leo Nevakhovich, largely influenced him on his education, especially in science. The family name Mechnikov is a translation from Romanian, since his father was a descendant of the Chancellor Yuri Stefanovich, the grandson of Nicolae Milescu. The word "mech" is a Russian translation of the Romanian "spadă" (sword), which originated with Spătar. His elder brother Lev became a prominent geographer and sociologist.
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