Vladimir Alekseyevich Betz

Vladimir Alekseyevich Betz (Russian: Влади́мир Алексе́евич Бец) (April 14, 1834 - 1894) - Russian anatomist and histologist, professor of the Kiev University, famous for the discovery of giant pyramidal neurons of primary motor cortex.

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  Vladimir Betz began his education in the Nezhin Gymnasium. Later he transferred to the 2nd Kiev Gymnasium and graduated from it in 1853. In 1860 he received a physician's diploma from the Medicine faculty of Saint Vladimir University in Kiev and was appointed a prosector's aide at the anatomy department. He left abroad to study in May 1861 and had returned in September 1862, having studied with and listened to the lectures of professors Brücke, Bunsen, Kölliker, Helmholtz, Kirchhoff. From 1864 to 1867 he lectures anatomy and histology at the university, raising in 1868 to the rank of Extraordinary Professor and in 1870 becoming Ordinary Professor of the anatomy department.

Brain tissue preparations made by Betz were awarded medals twice - at the All-Russian manufacturing exhibition in 1870 and at Vienna World Exposition of 1873. In 1874, Vladimir Alekseyevich described the giant pyramidal neurons in the primary motor cortex, which later were named Betz cells.

Betz' most prominent works include:

• "On the hepatic blood circulation" (1863)
• "A new method of human CNS exploration" (1870)
• "On the grouping of the convolutions of human brain" (1871)
• "Two centers in the human brain cortex" (1875)
• "An anatomy of the human brain surface, with an atlas and 86 tables" (1883)
• "Historical figures of the Russian South-West" (1883, coauthored by prof. B.A.Antonovich)