To recoil from a disastrous abyss, to withdraw a hand from a burning fire - Ivan Petrovich studied the nervous system of living beings and its reaction to various stimuli. Thanks to Pavlov, it became clearer how we survived and are surviving on this planet. For example, the scientist was the first to divide reflexes into unconditioned (instilled in us genetically, over many generations) and conditioned (which we ourselves acquire throughout our lives).
But most importantly, Pavlov proved that the basis of the work of the human psyche (including what was previously called the “soul” or “consciousness”) and all the complex relationships of a highly developed organism with the surrounding external environment are the physiological processes occurring in the cerebral cortex. Through the efforts of our hero, a new branch of science was even born - “Physiology of Higher Nervous Activity.”
2. Found out about digestion
Ivan Petrovich found out what exactly is happening with the omelette that you swallowed at breakfast today. The scientist conducted hundreds of experiments to understand how food is chemically and mechanically processed in the body, how it is broken down and absorbed by the cells of the body (thanks to Pavlov, in particular, we can now treat a large number of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract).
Ivan Petrovich, for example, performed a unique operation that had never been given to anyone before: he made a fistula (an opening in the dog’s stomach), ensured that the animal remained healthy and it was possible to observe in natural conditions how and how much the body secretes gastric juice (in depending on the composition and quantity of food that enters the stomach). So Pavlov earned the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1904 -
"for his investigation of the functions of the main digestive glands."
Ivan Petrovich Pavlov
Born on September 14, 1849 in Ryazan in the family of a priest. He himself graduated from the Ryazan Theological Seminary, but under the influence of the works of Ivan Sechenov, he decided to change his profession. He studied at St. Petersburg University and the Imperial Medical-Surgical Academy. In addition to the Nobel Prize, he received other important international awards: for example, the Cotenius Medal (1903) and the Copley Medal (1915). He was the director of the Physiological Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences (now the I.P. Pavlov Institute of Physiology). He died on February 27, 1936 in Leningrad.
Ivan Petrovich Pavlov became known to us primarily as a physiologist, a famous scientist who created the science of higher nervous activity, which has enormous practical value for many sciences. This includes medicine, psychology, physiology, and pedagogy, and not just Pavlov’s dog, which reacts to a light bulb with an increased flow of saliva. For his services, the scientist was awarded the Nobel Prize and some educational institutions and scientific institutes were named after him. Pavlov's books are still published in fairly large editions. For those who are not yet familiar with the scientist’s achievements and who do not know who Ivan Petrovich Pavlov is, a short biography will help correct this omission.
The future luminary was born in Ryazan, in the family of a clergyman, in 1849. Since Pavlov’s ancestors were “church members,” the boy was forced to go to a theological school and seminary. He later spoke warmly about this experience. But after accidentally reading Sechenov’s book on brain reflexes, Ivan Pavlov left his studies at the seminary and became a student at the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics in St. Petersburg.
Having completed the course with honors, he received the academic degree of Candidate of Natural Sciences, and decided to continue his studies at the Medical-Surgical Academy, upon completion of which he received a doctor's diploma.
Since 1879, Ivan Petrovich became the head of the laboratory at the Botkin clinic. It was there that he began his research into digestion, which lasted more than twenty years. Soon the young scientist defended his dissertation and was appointed private assistant professor at the Academy. But the offer from Heidenhain and Karl Ludwig, fairly well-known physiologists, to work in Leipzig seemed more interesting to him. Returning to Russia two years later, Pavlov continued his scientific activities.
By 1890, his name had become famous in scientific circles. Simultaneously with the leadership of physiological research at the Military Medical Academy, he also headed the department of physiology at the Institute of Experimental Medicine. The scientist's scientific work began with the study of the heart and circulatory system, but later the scientist devoted himself entirely to the study of the digestive system. Through many experiments, the white spots in the structure of the digestive tract began to disappear.
The scientist's main experimental subjects were dogs. Pavlov wanted to understand the mechanism of the pancreas and make the necessary analyzes of its juice. To do this, through trial and error, he brought out part of the dog's pancreas and created a so-called fistula. Through the hole, pancreatic juice came out and was suitable for research.
The next stage was the study of gastric juice. The scientist was able to make a gastric fistula, which no one could do before. Now it was possible to study the secretion of gastric juice, its quantity and quality indicators, depending on the characteristics of the food.
Pavlov gave a report in Madrid and there outlined the main milestones of his teaching. A year later, having written a scientific work about his research, the scientist was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1904.
The next thing that attracted the scientist’s attention was the reaction of the body, including the digestive system, to external stimuli. This was the first step towards the study of conditioned and unconditioned connections - reflexes. This was a new word in physiology.
Many living organisms have a reflex system. Since a person has more historical experience, his reflexes are richer and more complex than those of the same dogs. Thanks to Pavlov's research, it became possible to trace the process of their formation and understand the basic principles of the cerebral cortex.
There is an opinion that in the post-revolutionary period, during the years of “devastation,” Pavlov found himself below the poverty line. But nevertheless, remaining a patriot of his country, he refused a very lucrative offer to move to Sweden for further scientific work with one hundred percent funding.
Some researchers believe that the scientist simply did not have the opportunity to travel abroad, and he submitted petitions for permission to emigrate. After some time, in 1920, the scientist finally received the long-promised institute from the state, where he continued his research.
His research was closely monitored by the top of the Soviet government, and thanks to this patronage, the scientist was able to fulfill his long-time dreams. Clinics equipped with new equipment were opened at his institutes, the staff was constantly expanding, and the funding was excellent. From that time on, regular publication of Pavlov's works also began.
But the scientist’s health in recent years has left much to be desired. Having suffered from pneumonia several times, he looked unwell, was very tired and generally did not feel very well. And in 1936, after a cold that turned into another pneumonia, Pavlov died.
It may well be that today’s medicines would have coped with the disease, but then medicine was still at a low level of development. The death of the scientist was a major loss for the entire scientific world.
Pavlov's contribution to science cannot be overestimated. He brought physiology and psychology into one plane; his research into higher nervous activity gave impetus to the development of various sciences. The name of Ivan Petrovich Pavlov is now familiar to every educated person. I consider it possible to complete the presentation of the life and work of the scientist here, because a short biography of Pavlov I.P. sufficiently illuminated.
At all times, the Russian land was famous for its talented people who were capable of accomplishing both military feats and great scientific discoveries. Each such person deserves the closest attention from the public. One of these scientists is Ivan Petrovich Pavlov, whose brief biography will be studied in as much detail as possible in the article.
Birth
The future brilliant scientist was born on September 26, 1849 in the city of Ryazan. Our hero’s ancestors, both on his father’s and mother’s sides, devoted their entire lives to serving God in the Russian Orthodox Church. Ivan’s dad’s name was Pyotr Dmitrievich, his mother’s name was Varvara Ivanovna.
Education
In 1864, Ivan Petrovich Pavlov, whose biography is of interest to numerous readers even many years after his death, successfully graduated from theological seminary. However, while studying in his last year at this educational institution, he read a book about brain reflexes, which completely changed his consciousness and worldview.
In 1870, Pavlov became a full-time student at the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg University. This is largely due to the fact that former seminarians in those days were very limited in choosing their future fate. But literally two weeks later he transferred to the natural department. Ivan chose the study of the physiology of various animals as his specialization.
Scientific activity
Being a follower of Sechenov, Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (his biography contains many interesting facts) for ten years sought to obtain a gastrointestinal tract fistula. The scientist also experimented with cutting the esophagus so that food did not enter the stomach. Thanks to these experiments, the researcher found out the nuances of the secretion of gastric juice.
In 1903, Pavlov acted as a speaker at an international conference in Madrid. And the very next year the scientist was awarded the Nobel Prize for his in-depth study of the functional characteristics of the glands of the digestive system.
Loud performance
In the spring of 1918, Ivan Petrovich Pavlov, whose brief biography can give the reader an idea of his impressive contribution to science, gave a course of vital lectures. In these scientific works, the professor spoke about the human mind in general and the Russian mind in particular. It is worth noting that in his speeches the scientist very critically analyzed the subtleties and nuances of the Russian mentality, especially noting the lack of intellectual discipline.
Temptation
There is information that during the period of civil armed confrontation and total communism, which did not allocate any money to Pavlov for research, he received an offer from the Swedish Academy of Sciences to move to Stockholm. In the capital of this Scandinavian state, Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (his biography and his merits are respected) could receive the most comfortable conditions for his scientific work. However, our great compatriot categorically rejected this proposal, citing the fact that he loves his native land very much and does not intend to move anywhere.
After some time, the top Soviet leadership issued an order to build an institute near Leningrad. The scientist worked in this institution until 1936.
Curious moment
Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (the biography and interesting facts of the life of this academician cannot be ignored) was a very big fan of gymnastics, and in general was an ardent supporter of a healthy lifestyle. That is why he created a society in which die-hard fans of exercise and cycling gathered. In this circle, the scientist was even the chairman.
Death
Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (a short biography does not allow us to describe all his merits) died on February 27, 1936 in Leningrad. The cause of death, according to various sources, is considered to be pneumonia or the effects of poison. Based on the will of the deceased, he was buried according to Orthodox canons in a church in Koltushi. After this, the body of the deceased was transported to the Tauride Palace, where an official farewell ceremony was held. A guard of honor consisting of scientific workers from various educational institutions and members of the Academy of Sciences was placed near the coffin. The scientist was interred in a cemetery called Literatorskie Mostki.
Scientific contribution
Ivan Petrovich Pavlov, whose biography and scientific achievements did not go unnoticed by his contemporaries, even after his death had a significant impact on medicine. The deceased professor truly became a symbol of Soviet science, and his achievements in this area were considered by many to be a real ideological feat. Under the guise of “protecting Pavlov’s legacy,” a session of the USSR Academy of Sciences was held in 1950, at which many luminaries of physiology were subject to serious persecution, expressing their vision of some of the fundamental positions of research and experiments. To be fair, it should be said that such a policy ran counter to the principles that Pavlov professed during his lifetime.
Conclusion
Ivan Petrovich Pavlov, whose brief biography is given above, had many awards. In addition to the Nobel Prize, the scientist was awarded the Kotenius Medal, the Copley Medal and the Kroon Lecture.
In 1935, the man was recognized as the “elder of physiology of the world.” He received this title during the 15th International Congress of Physiologists. Let us point out that neither before nor after him, not a single representative of biology was able to receive the same title and was not so famous.
(1904) in physiology and medicine, author of the doctrine of higher nervous activity. Born September 26 (14), 1849 in Ryazan. He was the eldest son in a large family of a parish priest, who considered it his duty to give his children a good education. In 1860, Pavlov was immediately admitted to the second class of the Ryazan Theological School. After graduating in 1864, he entered the theological seminary. Six years later, under the influence of the ideas of Russian revolutionary democrats, especially the works of Pisarev, and Sechenov’s monograph Brain reflexes left his studies at the seminary and entered the university. Due to the restrictions that existed at that time in choosing a faculty for seminarians, Pavlov first entered the Faculty of Law in 1870, then transferred to the natural sciences department of the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics.
At that time, among the university professors there were outstanding scientists - D.I. Mendeleev, A.M. Butlerov, F.V. Ovsyannikov, I.F. Tsion. In the third year of the university, not without the influence of Tsion, Pavlov decides to specialize in the field physiology.
In 1875 Pavlov graduated from the university with a candidate's degree in natural sciences. Zion invited him to become his assistant at the Department of Physiology of the Medical-Surgical Academy (since 1881 - Military Medical Academy, Military Medical Academy). He convinced the assistant to also get a medical education). In the same year, Pavlov entered the Moscow Art Academy in his third year and received a doctor’s diploma in 1879.
After Tsion left the academy, Pavlov refused the position of assistant at the department of physiology, offered to him by the new head of the department, I.R. Tarkhanov. He decided to stay at the Moscow Art Academy only as a student. Later he became an assistant to Professor K.N. Ustimovich at the Department of Physiology of the Veterinary Department of the Medical-Surgical Academy, where he did a number of works on the physiology of blood circulation.
In 1878, the famous Russian clinician Botkin invited Pavlov to work in his clinic (he worked here until 1890, conducting research on the centrifugal nerves of the heart and working on his doctoral dissertation; from 1886 he was the head of the clinic).
At the end of the 70s, he met his future wife, S.V. Karchevskaya. The wedding took place in May 1881; in 1884 the couple left for Germany, where Pavlov trained in the laboratories of the leading physiologists of that time, R. Heidenhain and K. Ludwig.
In 1890 he was elected professor and head of the Department of Pharmacology at the Military Medical Academy, and in 1896 - head of the Department of Physiology, which he headed until 1924. Since 1890, Pavlov also headed the physiological laboratory at the Institute of Experimental Medicine.
From 1925 until the end of his life, Pavlov headed the Institute of Physiology of the Academy of Sciences.
In 1904, he was the first Russian scientist to be awarded the Nobel Prize for his work in the field of digestive physiology.
Pavlov was elected a member and honorary member of many foreign academies, universities, and societies. In 1935, at the 15th International Congress of Physiologists, he was recognized as the oldest physiologist in the world for his many years of scientific work.
All the scientific work of the scientist is united by a common principle, which at that time was called nervism - the idea of the leading role of the nervous system in regulating the activity of organs and systems of the body.
Scientific method.
Before Pavlov, research was carried out using the so-called. “acute experience”, the essence of which was that the organ of interest to the scientist was exposed with the help of incisions on the body of an anesthetized or immobilized animal. The method was unsuitable for studying the normal course of life processes, since it disrupted the natural connection between the organs and systems of the body. Pavlov was the first physiologist to use the “chronic method,” in which an experiment is carried out on a practically healthy animal, which made it possible to study physiological processes in an undistorted form.
Research on the physiology of blood circulation.
One of Pavlov's first scientific studies was devoted to studying the role of the nervous system in the regulation of blood circulation. The scientist found that cutting the vagus nerves that innervate the internal organs leads to profound impairments in the body’s ability to regulate blood pressure. As a result, it was concluded that significant pressure fluctuations are detected by sensitive nerve endings in the vasculature, which send impulses signaling changes to the corresponding center of the brain. These impulses give rise to reflexes aimed at changing the functioning of the heart and the state of the vascular bed, and blood pressure quickly returns to the most favorable level.
Pavlov's doctoral dissertation was devoted to the study of the centrifugal nerves of the heart. The scientist proved the presence of “triple nerve control” on the heart: functional nerves that cause or interrupt the activity of the organ; vascular nerves, which regulate the delivery of chemical material to the organ, and trophic nerves, which determine the exact size of the final utilization of this material by each organ and thereby regulate the vitality of the tissue. The scientist assumed the same triple control in other organs.
Research on the physiology of digestion.
The method of “chronic experiment” allowed Pavlov to discover many laws of the functioning of the digestive glands and the digestive process in general. Before Pavlov, there were only some very vague and fragmentary ideas about this, and the physiology of digestion was one of the most backward sections of physiology.
Pavlov's first research in this area was devoted to studying the functioning of the salivary glands. The scientist established a relationship between the composition and amount of saliva secreted and the nature of the irritant, which allowed him to draw a conclusion about the specific excitability of different receptors in the oral cavity by each of the irritating agents.
Research concerning the physiology of the stomach is Pavlov's most significant achievement in explaining the processes of digestion. The scientist proved the existence of nervous regulation of the activity of the gastric glands.
Thanks to the improvement of the operation to create an isolated ventricle, it was possible to distinguish two phases of gastric juice secretion: neuro-reflex and humoral-clinical. The result of the scientist’s research in the field of digestive physiology was his work entitled Lectures on the work of the main digestive glands, published in 1897. This work was translated into German, French and English within several years and brought Pavlov worldwide fame.
Research on the physiology of higher nervous activity.
Pavlov moved on to the study of the physiology of higher nervous activity, trying to explain the phenomenon of mental salivation. The study of this phenomenon led him to the concept of a conditioned reflex. A conditioned reflex, unlike an unconditioned one, is not innate, but is acquired as a result of the accumulation of individual life experience and is an adaptive reaction of the body to living conditions. Pavlov called the process of formation of conditioned reflexes higher nervous activity and considered this concept equivalent to the term “mental activity.”
The scientist identified four types of higher nervous activity in humans, which are based on ideas about the relationship between the processes of excitation and inhibition. Thus, he laid a physiological foundation for the teachings of Hippocrates on temperaments.
Pavlov also developed the doctrine of signal systems. According to Pavlov, a specific feature of a person is the presence in him, in addition to the first signal system, common with animals (various sensory stimuli coming from the outside world), also of a second signal system - speech and writing.
The main goal of Pavlov's scientific activity was to study the human psyche using objective experimental methods.
Pavlov formulated ideas about the analytical-synthetic activity of the brain and created the doctrine of analyzers, the localization of functions in the cerebral cortex and the systematic nature of the work of the cerebral hemispheres.
Publications: Pavlov I.P. Full composition of writings, 2nd ed., vol. 1–6, M., 1951–1952; Selected works, M., 1951.
Artem Movsesyan
Greetings to all readers who are interested in psychology! Today we will talk about an outstanding scientist, a physician, who devoted his life to the study of reflexes and made a huge contribution to the knowledge of the human nervous system, although he worked with dogs. It is not for nothing that Ivan Petrovich Pavlov is considered a representative of the largest modern school of physiology.
Life and scientific activities
Ivan Pavlov is a native of the city of Ryazan. Until the age of 21, he studied theology and planned to continue his father’s career (a parish priest), but he abruptly changed his direction and went to study at St. Petersburg University, where he began to study physiology and chemistry. If it were not for this turn in the fate of the remarkable scientist, we would not have been able to get acquainted with his theory of unconditioned and conditioned reflexes, and temperaments would continue to be distinguished by the fluid prevailing in the body, as Hippocrates bequeathed.
The interests of the young scientist were formed under the influence of outstanding specialists: Karl Ludwig and Rudolf Heidenhain. He was seriously interested in blood pressure problems, and when he was 41 years old he became a real professor at the Imperial Medical Academy. These walls gave him the opportunity to study the connection between digestion and salivation, as well as conduct experiments on dogs. By the way, Pavlov was a wonderful surgeon, which helped him in setting up his experiments.
It was in the course of research where dogs were experimental subjects that Ivan Petrovich came to the theory of the conditioned reflex, and by 1930 he was able to transfer his knowledge to people suffering from psychosis. It is important to understand what he meant by conditioned reflex. This is the body’s reaction that occurs to a stimulus as a result of their repeated coincidence. Why did this discovery become so significant, and the very concept of “conditioned reflex” - the crown of Pavlov’s scientific activity? Yes, because the learning process has become manageable and scientifically substantiated. And subsequently his ideas became the basis for the development of behavioral psychology (or behaviorism).
The scientist lived in difficult times; his relations with the Soviet government were very uneven. After visiting America (1923), he intensified his criticism of the communist regime and began to openly speak out against violence and arbitrariness of power. When in 1924 all students who had priestly fathers were expelled from his academy, he himself demonstratively left his post as a professor. Pavlov died in Leningrad in 1936.
Conditioned reflex theory
Pavlov's main work was the formation of conditioned reflexes using associations. In fact, everything is brilliantly simple. You can see this for yourself. When an unexpected sharp sound is heard, a person involuntarily flinches. This is his unconditioned reflex (automatic, innate) to an unconditioned stimulus. If we repeatedly encounter a situation where such a sharp sound occurs after a strong blow on the table with a fist, then it is quite logical that we will associate the sound (unconditioned stimulus) with the movement of the fist (already a conditioned stimulus), and begin to flinch even before the fist comes down on the table. This new reaction of the body will be called a conditioned reflex.
Experience with dogs
Initially, the scientist studied the digestive function of dogs. But while observing how the salivary glands of animals work, I discovered an interesting fact. Dogs salivate when they see an edible product. And this is an unconditioned reflex. But the salivation of Pavlov’s dogs began already when an assistant in a white coat entered, carrying food for the experiments. The researcher rightly noted that the cause of the reflex was not the smell of food, but the appearance of a white coat (conditioned stimulus). He also successfully proved this through experiments.
Role for science
Of course, Pavlov became famous for his experiments with dogs, which were appreciated and recognized during his lifetime. It is remarkable that he was awarded the honorary title of “elder of physiologists of the world,” and this is a great honor for a scientist. Experts also appreciate his enormous contribution to understanding the functioning of the human nervous system (after all, the concepts of “strong nervous system” and “weak nervous system” are also his achievement). It was the researcher’s discoveries that made it possible to find new ways to treat anxiety disorders (phobias, panic attacks).
We got acquainted with a brief biography of the scientist and the basic concepts of his theory. It is interesting that the knowledge that Pavlov gave us does not become outdated over the years. This makes them even more valuable and significant. I hope that the information that I tried to convey to you was clear enough even to non-specialists in the field of psychology. I will be glad to repost and comments.
Until we meet again, with respect, Alexander Fadeev.
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