1809-1885

German anatomist and histologist who authored one of the outstanding anatomical systems of the nineteenth century. He was the first to describe the epithelia of the intestines and the skin. Many anatomical structures are named for Henle, including parts of the kidney, uterus, and the root sheath of hair. His 1840 essay on the possible relationship between microbes and disease is regarded as an early version of the germ theory of disease.