Berzelius was born in Väversunda, Sweden, on August 20, 1779. His father died when he was four years old, and his mother when he was eight. He was educated at the local school in Linköping and later was tutored by his stepfather and others.

Berzelius attended medical school in Uppsala, Sweden, where he received his degree in 1802. While a student at Uppsala, Berzelius was introduced to chemistry by his stepbrother. The two read through a chemistry textbook by themselves and carried out some experiments together. His doctoral dissertation concerned the effects of electricity on various medical disorders--research that produced no new findings, but established his lifelong interest in electrical phenomenon.

After leaving Uppsala, Berzelius took a position as assistant to the professor of medicine and pharmacy at the College of Medicine in Stockholm, Sweden. The position paid no salary, but it allowed Berzelius to pursue his...