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Table of Contents
Heinrich Hermann Robert Koch was a German physician and microbiologist. He explored a world invisible to the naked eye, a world of creatures small as, or even smaller than dust. He lived from December 11, 1843 until 27 May 27, 1910. Robert Koch was one of the main founders of modern bacteriology and made significant contributions to the discipline. He identified the cause of particular diseases like tuberculosis, cholera, and anthrax. He received the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1905.
See the fact file below for more information on the Robert Koch or alternatively, you can download our 23-page Robert Koch worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
KOCH, THE CHILD GENIUS
- Robert Koch was born on December 11, 1844 in Clausthal, Germany.
- He was the son of Hermann Koch, a mining engineer, and Mathilde Julie Henriette.
- The young Koch had natural academic talent, as he excelled from an early age.
- In 1848, aged 5, Koch had taught himself how to read and write.
- Koch’s early literacy shocked his parents, but he had taught himself to read and write simply with the aid of newspapers.
EDUCATION
- Koch graduated from a local high school in 1862.
- He excelled in hard sciences like math. After graduating from high school, Koch enrolled at the University of Göttingen, a public research university in Göttingen, Germany, where he initially chose to study natural science.
- Three semesters passed before Koch had a change of mind and decided to shift his field of study to medicine. By that time, Koch aspired to be a physician.
- In Koch’s fifth semester at the University, an anatomist named Jacob Henle asked Koch to participate in his research project on uterine nerve structure.
- Koch began his own research the following semester. At the Physiological institute, Koch decided to study the secretion of succinic acid, a molecule that is involved in the metabolism of the mitochondria.
- Later, this research would form the basis of his dissertation.
- Koch graduated from medical school in January 1866, receiving honors of highest education.
CAREER & CONTRIBUTIONS
- His first job was as a surgeon in the Franco-Prussian War from 1870 until 1871.
- After the war, he worked as a physician in Wollstein in Prussian Posen, which is now known as Wolsztyn, Poland.
- He then held the position of government advisor with the Imperial Department of Health from 1880 to 1885.
- He also began conducting research on microorganisms.
- He made his first major contribution, which was developing a technique of growing bacteria.
- He also isolated and grew selected pathogens in a laboratory culture.
- During his time as an advisor, Koch’s discovery of the causative agent of anthrax led to the formation of a generic set of postulates. These postulates were used to determine the cause of infectious diseases.
- The organism must always be present, in every case of the disease.
- The organism must be isolated from a host containing the disease and grown in pure culture.
- Samples of the organism taken from pure culture must cause the same disease when inoculated into a healthy, susceptible animal in the laboratory.
- The organism must be isolated from the inoculated animal and must be identified as the same original organism first isolated from the originally diseased host.
- He served as an administrator and professor at Berlin University from 1885 to 1890.
- Unfortunately, when Koch discovered tuberculin, a remedy for tuberculosis, the Prussian Ministry of Health insisted that his inventions would unconditionally belong to the government and Koch would not receive any compensation.
- After relinquishing his professorship in 1891, he formed and directed the Prussian Institute for Infectious Diseases (soon to be RKI).
- His widely known work was about his discoveries of anthrax. Koch discovered the causative agent of the fatal disease, a bacteria called Bacillus anthracis.
- Koch discovered the spore formation of the bacteria that caused disease.
- Due to this discovery, Koch was the first man to link microorganisms with infectious disease. Thus, bacteriology was born.
DEATH
- Koch suffered a heart attack on April 9, 1910, from which he unfortunately never recovered completely.
- On May 27 of the same year, Koch died, three days after giving a lecture on tuberculosis at the Prussian Academy of Sciences. He was 66 years old.
Robert Koch Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Robert Koch across 23 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Robert Koch worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Heinrich Hermann Robert Koch who was a German physician and microbiologist. He explored a world invisible to the naked eye, a world of creatures small as, or even smaller than dust. He lived from December 11, 1843 until 27 May 27, 1910. Robert Koch was one of the main founders of modern bacteriology and made significant contributions to the discipline. He identified the cause of particular diseases like tuberculosis, cholera, and anthrax. He received the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1905.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Robert Koch Facts
- Doctor Koch
- Term Search
- The Correct Koch
- Career Timeline
- Complete the Postulates
- Major Discoveries
- Quote from Koch
- Pioneers in Microbiology
- Facts About Bacteria
- Medal for Koch
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