Karl Wilhelm von Kupffer (14 November 1829, Lestene parish

Lestene parish

- Towns, villages and settlements of Lestene parish :*...

, Tukums municipality

Tukums municipality

Tukums municipality is a municipality in Zemgale, Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2009 by merging Degole parish, Džūkste parish, Irlava parish, Jaunsāti parish, Lestene parish, Pūre parish, Sēme parish, Slampe parish, Tume parish, Zentene parish and Tukums town; the administrative centre...

 in Courland

Courland

Courland is one of the historical and cultural regions of Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland.- Geography and climate :...

, now part of Latvia

Latvia

Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...

 - 16 December 1902, Munich

Munich

Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...

) was a Baltic German

Baltic German

The Baltic Germans were mostly ethnically German inhabitants of the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, which today form the countries of Estonia and Latvia. The Baltic German population never made up more than 10% of the total. They formed the social, commercial, political and cultural élite in...

  anatomist who discovered stellate

Kupffer cell

Kupffer cells, also known as Browicz-Kupffer cells and stellate macrophages, are specialized macrophages located in the liver lining the walls of the sinusoids that form part of the reticuloendothelial system .-History:The cells were first observed by Karl Wilhelm von Kupffer in 1876...

 macrophage

Macrophage

Macrophages are cells produced by the differentiation of monocytes in tissues. Human macrophages are about in diameter. Monocytes and macrophages are phagocytes. Macrophages function in both non-specific defense as well as help initiate specific defense mechanisms of vertebrate animals...

 cells that bear his name.

The eldest son of pastor Karl Hermann Kupffer (1797-1860), Kupffer received his medical doctorate from the University of Tartu

University of Tartu

The University of Tartu is a classical university in the city of Tartu, Estonia. University of Tartu is the national university of Estonia; it is the biggest and highest-ranked university in Estonia...

 in 1854. Afterwards, he furthered his studies (1856-57) in Vienna

Vienna

Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...

, Berlin

Berlin

Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...

 and Göttingen

Göttingen

Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...

. During this period of time he studied under Emil Du Bois-Reymond

Emil du Bois-Reymond

Emil du Bois-Reymond was a German physician and physiologist, the discoverer of nerve action potential, and the father of experimental electrophysiology.-Life:...

 and Johannes Peter Müller

Johannes Peter Müller

Johannes Peter Müller , was a German physiologist, comparative anatomist, and ichthyologist not only known for his discoveries but also for his ability to synthesize knowledge.-Early years and education:...

. In 1858 he returned to Tartu

Tartu

Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, the...

 where he worked as a Prosector

Prosector

A prosector is a person with the special task of preparing a dissection for demonstration, usually in medical schools or hospitals. Many important anatomists began their careers as prosectors working for lecturers and demonstrators in anatomy and pathology....

 until 1865. In 1866 Kupffer was appointed Chair of Anatomy at the University of Kiel

University of Kiel

The University of Kiel is a university in the city of Kiel, Germany. It was founded in 1665 as the Academia Holsatorum Chiloniensis by Christian Albert, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp and has approximately 23,000 students today...

, and from 1875-1880 was a professor of anatomy

Anatomy

Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...

 at the University of Königsberg

University of Königsberg

The University of Königsberg was the university of Königsberg in East Prussia. It was founded in 1544 as second Protestant academy by Duke Albert of Prussia, and was commonly known as the Albertina....

. From 1880 until his retirement in 1901, Kupffer was a professor of histology

Histology

Histology is the study of the microscopic anatomy of cells and tissues of plants and animals. It is performed by examining cells and tissues commonly by sectioning and staining; followed by examination under a light microscope or electron microscope...

 as well as curator

Curator

A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...

 of the anatomical institute at Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich

Munich

Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...

.

Kupffer is primarily known for his work in the fields of histology, anatomy and embryology

Embryology

Embryology is a science which is about the development of an embryo from the fertilization of the ovum to the fetus stage...

. He was particularly interested in the cellular, glandular and nervous structure and processes of the stomach

Stomach

The stomach is a muscular, hollow, dilated part of the alimentary canal which functions as an important organ of the digestive tract in some animals, including vertebrates, echinoderms, insects , and molluscs. It is involved in the second phase of digestion, following mastication .The stomach is...

 and liver

Liver

The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...

. Regarding his discovery of the eponymous Kupffer cells, he incorrectly believed that these cells were an integral part of the endothelium

Endothelium

The endothelium is the thin layer of cells that lines the interior surface of blood vessels, forming an interface between circulating blood in the lumen and the rest of the vessel wall. These cells are called endothelial cells. Endothelial cells line the entire circulatory system, from the heart...

 of the liver's blood vessel

Blood vessel

The blood vessels are the part of the circulatory system that transports blood throughout the body. There are three major types of blood vessels: the arteries, which carry the blood away from the heart; the capillaries, which enable the actual exchange of water and chemicals between the blood and...

s. In 1898 Polish pathologist Tadeusz Browicz

Tadeusz Browicz

Tadeusz Browicz was a Polish pathologist born in Lviv.He studied medicine in Kraków, earning his medical doctorate in 1873. Afterwards he remained at Kraków as an assistant to the pathologist Alfred Biesiadecki , and in 1875 received his habilitation...

 (1847-1928) correctly identified them as macrophages. During his tenure at the University of Königsberg, Kupffer had the opportunity to examine the brain of philosopher Immanuel Kant

Immanuel Kant

Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher from Königsberg , researching, lecturing and writing on philosophy and anthropology at the end of the 18th Century Enlightenment....

.

Selected works

• De medullae spinalis textura in ranis ratione imprimis habita indolis substantiae cinerae, 1854
• Der Schädel von Immanuel Kant, Archiv für Anthropologie, Band 13
• Über Sternzellen in der Leber, brief an Prof. Waldyer, 1876, Archiv, Mikroskopische Anatomie, 12, 352-358
• Über die sogennanten Sternzellen der Säugethierleber, Archiv, Mikroskopische Anatomie, 1899, 54, 254-288
• Über Sternzellen der Leber, Versammlung 1898, Veröffentlicht 1898, anatomische Geselschaft