Major Scientific Contributions
In February 1869, he presented a thesis entitled “Contributions to the microscopic anatomy of the pancreas”, in which he refers to islands of clear cells throughout the gland, staining differently than the surrounding tissue. He noticed that these areas were more richly innervated, but he could not suggest a function, except for the incorrect hypothesis that they might be lymph nodes.
One year before, still as an undergraduate, he analysed epidermal skin cells as part of an open competition organised by Berlin University. The branched skin cells resembling neuron, described in his paper entitled “On the nerves of the human skin”, remained an enigma for over a century before their immunological function and significance were recognised.
Read more about this topic: Paul Langerhans
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