Charles Alexander MacMunn

Dr Charles Alexander MacMunn (11 April 1852 – 18 February 1911) was the first to describe the respiratory pigment in blood, known today as Cytochrome1. It was one of the most significant discoveries made by an Irish doctor.

Biography MacMunn was born on 11 April 1852 in Easkey, County Sligo, Ireland, the son of James MacMunn MD.

He was educated at Trinity College Dublin, graduating BA with honours in 1871, MB in 1872, MD in 1875. He studied under William Stokes.

He was the author of numerous papers on medicine, physiology and biology. His seminal paper was published in 1880 entitled "The Spectroscope in Medicine". He used the spectroscope to study pigments in microorganisms and muscular tissue. He was the first to describe cytochromes, which he termed myohaematins (respiratory pigments of muscle). Serious criticism of his work, led by German scientist Felix Hoppe-Seyler, led to it being discredited at the time. He retired in 1909, and ill health led to his death on 18 February 1911.

MacMunn was married twice, and had three children by his first wife.

In 2016, the Institute of Technology, Sligo named its new science building after MacMunn.