Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes ProCon History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
Johann Friedrich Meckel
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Related Questions
Read Next
pulmonary veins and arteries, circulation, cardiovascular system, human anatomy, (Netter replacement project - SSC)
13 Questions About How the Human Body Works Answered
H1N1 influenza virus particles. Colorized transmission electron micrograph. Surface proteins on surface of the virus particles shown in black. Influenza flu
10 Ways of Looking at Cells
Endoplasmic reticulum. cell biology
6 Cell Organelles
Science studient dissecting frog
Pro and Con: Animal Dissection
Discover
Diverse elementary school children wearing school uniforms running outside of school. Boys girls
Pro and Con: School Uniforms
Baseball laying in the grass. Homepage blog 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society, sports and games athletics
10 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time
Rural Irish landscape, Sligo, Ireland.
Why Is Ireland Two Countries?
Thumbnail for flags that look alike quiz Russia, Slovenia, Iceland, Norway
Flags That Look Alike
Iraqi Army Soldiers from the 9th Mechanized Division learning to operate and maintain M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks at Besmaya Combat Training Center, Baghdad, Iraq, 2011. Military training. Iraq war. U.S. Army
8 Deadliest Wars of the 21st Century
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Italian Renaissance painter from Florence. Engraving by Cosomo Colombini (d. 1812) after a Leonardo self portrait. Ca. 1500.
10 Famous Artworks by Leonardo da Vinci
An ancient egyptian hieroglyphic painted carving showing the falcon headed god Horus seated on a throne and holding a golden fly whisk. Before him are the Pharoah Seti and the goddess Isis. Interior wall of the temple to Osiris at Abydos, Egypt.
11 Egyptian Gods and Goddesses

Johann Friedrich Meckel

German physicist
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Also known as: Meckel the Younger
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: • Article History
Quick Facts
Born:
Oct. 17, 1781, Halle, Prussia [Germany]
Died:
Oct. 31, 1833, Halle (aged 52)
Also Known As:
Meckel the Younger
Subjects Of Study:
Meckel diverticulum
See all related content

Johann Friedrich Meckel (born Oct. 17, 1781, Halle, Prussia [Germany]—died Oct. 31, 1833, Halle) was a German anatomist who first described the embryonic cartilage (now called Meckel’s cartilage) that ossifies to form part of the lower jaw in fishes, amphibians, and birds. He also described a pouch (Meckel’s diverticulum) of the small intestine.

Meckel, also known as Meckel the Younger, came from a family of physicians. He studied medicine at the universities of Halle and Göttingen, graduating in 1802 after writing a doctoral dissertation on congenital abnormalities of the heart. He was the author of numerous papers and several multivolume treatises, including one on pathological anatomy, and an atlas depicting human abnormalities.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.