Who was Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov?
Q: Who was Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov?
A: Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov was a Ukrainian-Russian zoologist of (partly) Jewish descent who discovered macrophages and how immunity fights disease. He also coined the term gerontology.
Q: When was Mechnikov born?
A: Mechnikov was born on May 16, 1845.
Q: Where was Mechnikov born?
A: Mechnikov was born in Kharkov (now Kharkiv), which was part of the Russian Empire at the time and is now in Ukraine.
Q: What did Mechnikov win the Nobel Prize for?
A: Mechnikov won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1908, together with Paul Ehrlich, for their work on immunity, specifically discovering how it fights disease.
Q: What are macrophages?
A: Macrophages are cells that play a key role in the body's immune response. They are found in virtually all tissues and help to detect and destroy potential pathogens by a process called phagocytosis.
Q: What is gerontology?
A: Gerontology is the study of ageing and longevity, and Mechnikov is credited with coining the term in 1903.
Q: What is Mechnikov's ethnic background?
A: Mechnikov was of (partly) Jewish descent, with his mother being Jewish.
