THE GENIUS OF METCHNIKOFF,E.E. - DISCOVERIES OVER THE CENTURIES

On the 15 of May we celebrated the 150th anniversary of the outstandin g Russian biologist Elias E. Metchnikoff (1845-1916)-Nobel Prize winne r (1908), full and honorary member of many scientific academies of the world. His main works were applied to the zoology of invertebtates, e volution, embryology, immunology, microbiology, infectious pathology, gerontology, etc. Elias Metchnikoff published essays on anthropology, theory of orthobiosis, role of social and social-hygienic factors in s olving the problems of old age and life elongation. On 30 May-2 June 1 995 an International Symposium dedicated to Metchnikoff's 150th annive rsary was held in Moscow. This is a text of the lecture given by us at the opening ceremony.