Jan Evangelista Purkyně, born on December 17, 1787, in Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic), was a prominent scientist renowned for his discoveries in eye, brain, and heart physiology. To honor him 156 years after his death, the present article explores Purkyně's history, from the struggles of his youth to the main legacies he left in medicine, especially neurology.

Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre Departamento de Neurologia Porto Alegre RS Brazil

Universidade Federal do Paraná Departamento de Clínica Médica Serviço de Neurologia Curitiba PR Brazil

See more in PubMed

Málek P. Bicentennial anniversary of the birth of J.E. Purkinje (1787-1987) Czech Med. 1987;10(01):1–8. PubMed

Waliszewska-Prosół M, Ejma M, Podemski R. [Jan Ewangelista Purkynie (1787-1869) - physiologist, phenomenologist, citizen of Wroclaw] Neurol Neurochir Pol. 2013;47(01):90–93. doi: 10.5114/ninp.2013.32930. PubMed DOI

Tan S Y, Lin K H. Johannes Evangelista Purkinje (1787-1869): 19th century's foremost phenomenologist. Singapore Med J. 2005;46(05):208–209. PubMed

Cavero I, Guillon J M, Holzgrefe H H. Reminiscing about Jan Evangelista Purkinje: a pioneer of modern experimental physiology. Adv Physiol Educ. 2017;41(04):528–538. doi: 10.1152/advan.00068.2017. PubMed DOI

Mazurak M, Kusa J. Jan Evangelista Purkinje: A Passion for Discovery. Tex Heart Inst J. 2018;45(01):23–26. doi: 10.14503/THIJ-17-6351. PubMed DOI PMC

Schweitzer P.Jan Evangelista Purkinje (Purkinĕ) Clin Cardiol 1991140185–86. 10.1002/clc.4960140119PubMed PubMed DOI

Voogd J. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2000. The Purkinje cell.

Silverman M E, Grove D, Upshaw C B., Jr Why does the heart beat? The discovery of the electrical system of the heart. Circulation. 2006;113(23):2775–2781. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.106.616771. PubMed DOI

Gomes M M. Jan Evangelista Purkinje, a brilliant, multifaceted Czech biologist: nerve tissue. Rev Bras Neurol. 2019;55(04):13–17. doi: 10.46979/rbn.v55i4.31836. DOI

Pokorný J, Trojan S.Purkynova koncepce nervové bunky[Purkinje's concept of a neuron]Cas Lek Cesk 200514410659–661., discussion 662 PubMed

Zárský V. Jan Evangelista Purkyně/Purkinje (1787-1869) and the establishment of cellular physiology–Wrocław/Breslau as a central European cradle for a new science. Protoplasma. 2012;249(04):1173–1179. doi: 10.1007/s00709-012-0407-5. PubMed DOI

Druga R.Purkinje cells of the cerebellum Prague: Avicenum; 1986. p. 255–61 (in Czech) .

Pannese E. The black reaction. Brain Res Bull. 1996;41(06):343–349. doi: 10.1016/S0361-9230(96)00177-3. PubMed DOI

Cajal S R.Histologie du systéme nerveux de l'homme et des vertébrés Paris: A Maloine; 1911. V. 2.