Christian René de Duvé's ground-breaking studies of cellular structure and function earned him the 1974 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine (shared with Albert Claude and George Palade ). His discovery of the two key cellular organelles--lysosomes and peroxisomes--earned him an honor from the Swedish Academy. This work, along with that of his fellow recipients, established the field of cell biology. De Duvé introduced techniques that have enabled other scientists to better study cellular anatomy and physiology and his research has also been of great value in helping clarify the causes of and treatments for a number of diseases.

Christian René de Duvé was born on October 2, 1917 in England after his parents, Alphonse and Madeleine (Pungs) de Duvé, fled Belgium after the German army invaded it during World War I. De Duvé returned with his parents to Belgium in 1920, where they settled...