Arthur Böttcher
Encyclopedia
Jakob Ernst Arthur Böttcher (July 13, 1831 – August 10, 1889) was a German pathologist and anatomist who was a native of Bauska
, Kurland.
In 1856 he earned his medical doctorate from the University of Dorpat with a dissertation on the nerve supply to the inner ear
's cochlea
. He furthered his studies with journeys to Germany, France and Austria, and in 1862 he became a full professor of general pathology and pathological anatomy at Dorpat. From 1871 to 1877 he was editor of the magazine Dorpater Medicinische Zeitschrift.
Böttcher is largely known for his anatomical investigations of the inner ear
, particularly studies involving the structure of the reticular lamina and nerve fibers of the organ of Corti
. Today his name is associated with the eponymous "Bottcher cells
", which are cells of the basilar membrane
of the cochlea
. Other anatomical terms that contain his name are:
Bauska
Bauska is a town in Bauska municipality, in the Zemgale region of southern Latvia. The town is situated at the confluence of the rivers Mūsa and Mēmele where they form the Lielupe River...
, Kurland.
In 1856 he earned his medical doctorate from the University of Dorpat with a dissertation on the nerve supply to the inner ear
Inner ear
The inner ear is the innermost part of the vertebrate ear. In mammals, it consists of the bony labyrinth, a hollow cavity in the temporal bone of the skull with a system of passages comprising two main functional parts:...
's cochlea
Cochlea
The cochlea is the auditory portion of the inner ear. It is a spiral-shaped cavity in the bony labyrinth, making 2.5 turns around its axis, the modiolus....
. He furthered his studies with journeys to Germany, France and Austria, and in 1862 he became a full professor of general pathology and pathological anatomy at Dorpat. From 1871 to 1877 he was editor of the magazine Dorpater Medicinische Zeitschrift.
Böttcher is largely known for his anatomical investigations of the inner ear
Inner ear
The inner ear is the innermost part of the vertebrate ear. In mammals, it consists of the bony labyrinth, a hollow cavity in the temporal bone of the skull with a system of passages comprising two main functional parts:...
, particularly studies involving the structure of the reticular lamina and nerve fibers of the organ of Corti
Organ of Corti
The organ of Corti is the organ in the inner ear of mammals that contains auditory sensory cells, or "hair cells."The organ was named after the Italian anatomist Marquis Alfonso Giacomo Gaspare Corti , who conducted microscopic research of the mammaliean auditory system.-Structure and function:The...
. Today his name is associated with the eponymous "Bottcher cells
Boettcher cell
Boettcher cells are polyhedral cells on the basilar membrane of the cochlea, and are located beneath Claudius cells. Boettcher cells are considered supporting cells for the organ of Corti, and are present only in the lower turn of the cochlea...
", which are cells of the basilar membrane
Basilar membrane
The basilar membrane within the cochlea of the inner ear is a stiff structural element that separates two liquid-filled tubes that run along the coil of the cochlea, the scala media and the scala tympani .-Function:...
of the cochlea
Cochlea
The cochlea is the auditory portion of the inner ear. It is a spiral-shaped cavity in the bony labyrinth, making 2.5 turns around its axis, the modiolus....
. Other anatomical terms that contain his name are:
- Böttcher's canal: Known today as the ductus utriculosaccularis or as the utriculo-saccularSacculeThe saccule is a bed of sensory cells situated in the inner ear. The saccule translates head movements into neural impulses which the brain can interpret. The saccule is sensitive to linear translations of the head, specifically movements up and down...
duct. This duct connects the utricle with the endolymphatic ductEndolymphatic ductFrom the posterior wall of the saccule a canal, the endolymphatic duct, is given off; this duct is joined by the ductus utriculosaccularis, and then passes along the aquaeductus vestibuli and ends in a blind pouch on the posterior surface of the petrous portion of the temporal bone, where it is in...
a short distance from the sacculeSacculeThe saccule is a bed of sensory cells situated in the inner ear. The saccule translates head movements into neural impulses which the brain can interpret. The saccule is sensitive to linear translations of the head, specifically movements up and down...
. - Böttcher's ganglion: GanglionGanglionIn anatomy, a ganglion is a biological tissue mass, most commonly a mass of nerve cell bodies. Cells found in a ganglion are called ganglion cells, though this term is also sometimes used to refer specifically to retinal ganglion cells....
on the cochlear nerveCochlear nerveThe cochlear nerve is a nerve in the head that carries signals from the cochlea of the inner ear to the brain...
in the internal auditory meatusInternal auditory meatusThe internal auditory meatus is a canal in the petrous part of the temporal bone of the skull that carries nerves from inside the cranium towards the middle and inner ear compartments namely cranial nerve VII and cranial nerve VIII.-Structure:The...
. - Böttcher's space: Also known as the endolymphatic sacEndolymphatic sacFrom the posterior wall of the saccule a canal, the ductus endolymphaticus, is given off; this duct is joined by the ductus utriculosaccularis, and then passes along the aquaeductus vestibuli and ends in a blind pouch, the endolymphatic sac, on the posterior surface of the petrous portion of the...
; the blind pouch at the end of the endolymphatic ductEndolymphatic ductFrom the posterior wall of the saccule a canal, the endolymphatic duct, is given off; this duct is joined by the ductus utriculosaccularis, and then passes along the aquaeductus vestibuli and ends in a blind pouch on the posterior surface of the petrous portion of the temporal bone, where it is in...
. - Charcot-Böttcher filaments: Spindle-shaped crystalloids found in human Sertoli cells. They measure 10 to 25 um in length. Named in conjunction with neurologistNeurologistA neurologist is a physician who specializes in neurology, and is trained to investigate, or diagnose and treat neurological disorders.Neurology is the medical specialty related to the human nervous system. The nervous system encompasses the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves. A specialist...
Jean-Martin CharcotJean-Martin CharcotJean-Martin Charcot was a French neurologist and professor of anatomical pathology. He is known as "the founder of modern neurology" and is "associated with at least 15 medical eponyms", including Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis...
(1825-1893).
Selected publications
- Observationes microscopicae de ratione qua nervus cochleae mammalium terminator, 1856
- Mittheilung über einen bester noch unbekannten Blasenwurm, 1862
- Ueber die Entwickelung und Bau des Gehörlabyrinths nach Untersuchungen an Säugethieren, 1869
- Kritische Bemerkungen und neue Beiträge zur Litteratur des Gehörlabyrinths, 1872
- Neue Untersuchungen über die rothen Blutkörperchen, 1876