Meaning & use
Rudolf Virchow
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Meanings
proper nounproper
A 19th-century German physician and scientist regarded as the founder of modern pathology, best known for his theory that every cell originates from another cell.
Grammar: Always capitalized and used with the definite article or no article, referring to the specific historical figure.
Patterns
- Rudolf Virchow discovered ...
- according to Rudolf Virchow
- the work of Rudolf Virchow
Rudolf Virchow proposed that every cell arises from a pre-existing cell.
Students of medicine often study the pioneering research of Rudolf Virchow.
Rudolf Virchow also made important contributions to public health and anthropology.
nounsingulartechnical
His principle that all cells come from other cells, a cornerstone of cell theory in biology.
Grammar: Used mainly in the fixed phrase "Virchow's principle" or "Virchow's dictum" to refer to this idea.
Patterns
- Virchow's principle
- Virchow's dictum
- known as Virchow's ...
Virchow's principle states that new cells can only arise from existing cells.
In biology class, we learned Virchow's dictum as a key part of cell theory.
Common combinations
- father of modern pathology
- Rudolf Virchow is often called the father of modern pathology.
- cell theory
- Virchow's ideas were essential to the development of cell theory.
- public health
- Virchow was a strong advocate for improving public health conditions.
Practice
Which statement best describes Rudolf Virchow's most famous contribution to science?
Choose one answer.
Rudolf Virchow is renowned for establishing that every cell arises from a pre-existing cell, a fundamental principle of cell theory. The other options describe contributions by different scientists — Watson and Crick discovered DNA's structure, Darwin proposed evolution by natural selection, and the microscope was invented before Virchow's time.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Rudolf Virchow”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.