Johannes Peter Müller

Johannes Peter Müller (1801 to 1858) was a German physiologist, comparative anatomist, ichthyologist and herpetologist, remembered both for his own discoveries and for his gift for synthesizing the knowledge of his field. He was born in Coblenz, the son of a poor shoemaker, and first expected to become a Roman Catholic priest before his love of natural science turned him toward medicine. He took his medical degree at the University of Bonn in 1822 and then studied in Berlin, where he came to reject physiological systems not founded on strict observation of nature. He taught at Bonn from 1824 and in 1833 took the chair of anatomy and physiology at the University of Berlin, which he held until his death. His work covered the voice, speech and hearing and the chemical and physical properties of lymph, chyle and blood. The paramesonephric duct, also called the Müllerian duct, is named in his honor.