Vladimir Betz

Volodymyr Oleksiyovych Betz(Ukrainian: Володи́мир Олексійович Бец) (26 April [O.S. 14 April] 1834 – 12 October [O.S. 30 September] 1894)[2] was a Ukrainian anatomist and histologist, professor of the Saint Vladimir University (Kyiv, now Ukraine), famous for the discovery of giant pyramidal neurons of primary motor cortex.

Volodymyr Oleksiyovych Betz
Born	26 April 1834 Tatarovshina near Oster, Chernigovskaya guberniya, Russian Empire
Died	12 October 1894 Kyiv, Russian Empire[1]
Nationality	Ukrainian
Citizenship	Russian Empire
Alma mater	Saint Vladimir University
Known for	discovery of Betz cells
Awards	medals for brain tissue samples at All-Russian Manufacturing Exhibition (1870), Vienna World Exposition (1873)
Scientific career
Fields	Anatomy
Institutions	Saint Vladimir University

Volodymyr Betz headstone at the Vydubychi Monastery, Kyiv. The inscription reads: "To the initiator of studies of the Central Nervous System, the professor of anatomy of the Kyiv University, Volodymyr Alekseyevich Betz. 1834-1894. Grateful Ukrainian morphologists."

Volodymyr Betz began his education in the Nizhyn Gymnasium (the Russian Empire at that time). Later he transferred to the 2nd Kyiv Gymnasium and graduated from it in 1853. In 1860 he received a physician's diploma from the Medicine faculty (now Bogomolets National Medical University) of Saint Vladimir University in Kyiv (now Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv) and was appointed a prosector's aide at the anatomy department. He went abroad to study in May 1861 and returned in September 1862, having studied with and attended the lectures of professors Brücke, Bunsen, Kölliker, Helmholtz, and Kirchhoff. From 1864 to 1867 he lectures anatomy and histology at the university, rising 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, Volodymyr Oleksiyovych described the giant pyramidal neurons in the primary motor cortex, which later were named Betz cells.[3]

Betz's 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.Antonovych)