Beijerinck, Martinus W.
Beijerinck, Martinus W.: (1851-1931) Dutch microbiologist who was the first person to use the term “virus” for the invisible disease-causing material that he showed to be self-replicating. He originated selective culture techniques, also known as enrichment culturing, and was the first to isolate a wide range of microorganisms.
Educated at the Delft Technical School and the University of Leiden (Ph.D. 1899), Beijerinck taught in agricultural schools, worked in the Netherlands Yeast and Alcohol Manufactory (1884-95), and taught at the Technical School in Delft (1895-1921). His research on the biology of gall wasps and gall formation in 1882 led to the theory of ontogeny in higher plants and animals as being controlled by a series of growth enzymes that become active in fixed succession.
Beijerinck made major contributions to microbiology by developing the enrichment culture technique, simultaneously with Sergey Winogradsky, which permits the isolation of highly specialized microorganisms. In studying tobacco mosaic disease, Beijerinck concluded that the filterable pathogen was a “contagium vivum fluidum,” a term he coined to convey his concept of a living infectious agent in a fluid (noncellular) form — a revolutionary idea at a time when life and cellularity were thought to be inextricably connected.
Read Also:
- Belching
Belching: A normal process of releasing through the mouth air that accumulates in the stomach, thereby relieving distention. Upper abdominal discomfort associated with excessive swallowed air may extend into the lower chest, producing symptoms that suggest heart or lung disease.
- Bell, Charles
Bell, Charles: (1774-1842) Renowned surgeon, anatomist and artist, who discovered Bell’s palsy, paralysis of the facial nerve, the nerve that supplies the facial muscles on one side of the face. Bell waa a great neurologist and made many of the early discoveries in neurology including the Mona Lisa syndrome, the facial muscle contracture that develops […]
- Bell's palsy
Bell’s palsy: Paralysis of the nerve that supplies the facial muscles on one side of the face (the seventh cranial nerve, or facial nerve). Bell’s palsy often starts suddenly. The cause may be a viral infection. Treatment includes protecting the eye on the affected side from dryness during sleep. Massage of affected muscles can reduce […]
- Belladonna
Belladonna: An herbaceous plant bearing the scientific name Atropa belladonna or Atropa bella-donna, also known as deadly nightshade. The leaves and berries of the plant are highly toxic and can lead to hallucinations and delirium when ingested. Eating just a few berries from the plant can be fatal in children. The belladonna plant has a […]
- Bellini duct carcinoma
Bellini duct carcinoma: (BDC) A rare type of kidney cancer that begins in the duct of Bellini (a continuation of the collecting tubules). BDC often grows and spreads quickly.