Claude Bernard
French physiologist whose name is borne by Lyon 1 Claude Bernard University.
Claude Bernard (12 July 1813 – 10 February 1878) was a French physiologist regarded by I. Bernard Cohen of Harvard University as "one of the greatest of all men of science." He is best known for originating the term *milieu intérieur* and the associated concept of homeostasis, though the latter term was later coined by Walter Cannon. Born in the village of Saint-Julien near Villefranche-sur-Saône, Bernard received his early education at a Jesuit school and later attended college in Lyon. After leaving school, he worked as an assistant in a druggist's shop. In his leisure time, he wrote a vaudeville comedy and a five-act prose drama, *Arthur de Bretagne*, a tragedy about Arthur I, Duke of Brittany. At age twenty-one, he went to Paris to present this play to critic Saint-Marc Girardin, who instead urged him to study medicine. Bernard followed this advice, becoming an interne at the Hôtel-Dieu de Paris, where he met physiologist François Magendie. Bernard became Magendie's lab assistant in 1841 and later his deputy-professor in 1847, succeeding him as full professor in 1855. His marriage to Marie Françoise "Fanny" Martin in 1845 was one of convenience, with her dowry financing his experiments. Bernard's major work included discovering the pancreas's role in digestion, showing it secretes a lipolytic enzyme that splits fats into glycerol and fatty acids. He also discovered the liver's glycogenic function, producing sugars that can cause hyperglycemia, advancing the study of diabetes. His research on the cervical sympathetic nerve established the existence of vasodilator and vasoconstrictor nerves. Bernard was a primary proponent of vivisection, a practice that disgusted his wife and daughters and led to their official separation in 1869. His wife later campaigned against vivisection. Despite being described as agnostic and called a "great priest of atheism," after his death Cardinal Ferdinand Donnet claimed Bernard was a fervent Catholic. He was given a public funeral upon his death in 1878, an honor France had never before granted a man of science.
- field
- Physiology
- nationality
- French
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 1813-07-12
- Birth Place
- Saint-Julien, Rhône, France
- Death Date
- 1878-02-10
- Death Place
- Paris, France
- Spouse
- Marie Françoise Martin · 1845 · 1869 · end=sep.
- Children
- Two daughters, Jeanne-Henriette and Marie-Claude, and a son who died in infancy
- Patrons
- Louis Napoleon
- Field
- Physiology
- Workplaces
- Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle
- Thesis Title
- Recherches sur une nouvelle fonction du foie, considéré comme organe producteur de matière sucrée chez l'homme et les animaux
- Thesis Url
- https: · patrimoine.sorbonne-universite.fr/idurl/1/1391
- Thesis Year
- 1853
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Claude Bernard is the namesake of Lyon 1 Claude Bernard University (UCBL), one of three public universities in Lyon, France. The university was established in 1971 by merging the 'faculté des sciences de Lyon' with the 'faculté de médecine'. It specializes in science and technology, medicine, and sports science. The university's main administrative, teaching and research facilities are located in Villeurbanne, with other campuses in Gerland, Rockefeller, and Laennec in the 8th arrondissement of Lyon. Attached to the university are the Hospices Civils de Lyon, including the 'Centre Hospitalier Lyon-Sud', which is the largest teaching hospital in the Rhône-Alpes region and the second-largest in France. The university has been independent since January 2009. In 2020 it managed an annual budget of over €420 million and had 2857 faculty.
Reader's Guide
Claude Bernard's connection to the university is primarily through its name and specialization. The university's Faculty of Science was founded on 17 March 1808 by Napoleon I as part of the Academy of Lyon within the University of France. The Lyon Faculty of Medicine was founded on 8 November 1874. These two faculties merged on 8 December 1970 to create Claude Bernard University. The university's areas of study include natural sciences (biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, earth science, electrical engineering, computer science, mechanical engineering), public health (medicine, pharmacy, odontology, audiology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech therapy, ophthalmology, psychomotricity), and other fields like sport (STAPS), the Observatory of Lyon, the ISFA Graduate School of Actuarial Studies, and the engineering school École polytechnique universitaire de l'université Lyon-I. The university was ranked 9-11 out of universities in France and in the 201–300 band of world universities by Academic Ranking of World Universities 2021.
Did You Know?
- Lyon 1 Claude Bernard University was established in 1971 by merging the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Medicine.
- The university's main administrative headquarters are located on the LyonTech-la Doua campus in Villeurbanne.
- The attached Hospices Civils de Lyon include the Centre Hospitalier Lyon-Sud, the largest teaching hospital in the Rhône-Alpes region and second-largest in France.
- The university managed an annual budget of over €420 million in 2020.
- The Lyon Faculty of Medicine was founded on 8 November 1874, and merged with the Faculty of Science on 8 December 1970.
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