Digestive System — Key Discoveries

Key Discoveries

Discovery of Pepsin by Theodor Schwann

1836

Theodor Schwann, a German physiologist, isolated pepsin from gastric juice, marking the first time an animal enzyme was prepared. This discovery was monumental as it demonstrated…

Pavlov's Conditioned Reflexes (Salivary Secretion)

Late 19th - Early 20th Century

Ivan Pavlov's pioneering work on conditioned reflexes, particularly his experiments with dogs and salivary secretion, revealed the profound influence of the nervous system on…

Discovery of Secretin by Bayliss and Starling

1902

William Bayliss and Ernest Starling discovered secretin, the first hormone ever identified. Their experiments showed that an extract from the duodenal lining, when injected into…