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). However, he did much more than discover the two key cellular organelles--lysosomes and peroxisomes--for which the Swedish Academy honored him. His work, along with that of his fellow recipients, established an entirely new field, cell biology. De Duvé introduced techniques that have enabled other scientists to better study cellular anatomy and physiology De Duvé's research has also been of great value in helping clarify the causes of and treatments for a number of diseases.

De Duvé's parents, Alphonse and Madeleine (Pungs) de Duvé, had fled Belgium after its invasion by the German army in World War I, escaping to safety in England. There, in Thames-Ditton, Christian René de Duvé was...