About Édouard Chatton
Lived 1883 – 1947 (aged 63). Édouard Chatton was a French biologist, zoologist, protistologist and botanist, known for Eukaryotes and Prokaryotes.
Édouard Chatton (; 11 October 1883 – 23 April 1947) was a French biologist who first characterized the distinction between the prokaryotic and eukaryotic cellular types.
Chatton was born in Romont, Switzerland. His initial interest was in various human pathogenic protozoa, members of the Apicomplexa and Trypanosomatids. He later expanded his studies to include marine protists, helping to contribute to the description of the dinoflagellate protists. He coined the terms "eukaryote" and "prokaryote" in a 1925 paper, but did not elaborate on the concept; Roger Stanier and C. B. van Niel later adopted the nomenclature and popularized the classification of cellular organisms into prokaryotes and eukaryotes in a 1962 article. At the Pasteur Institute, Chatton met and became a mentor to André Michel Lwoff, future Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine. The two scientists remained associates until Chatton's death in 1947, in Banyuls-sur-Mer, France.
Chromidina chattoni, a species named in the honour of Édouard Chatton.
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Important facts
People in Édouard Chatton's life
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Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Édouard Chatton's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Édouard Chatton?
French biologist (1883–1947)
When was Édouard Chatton born?
Édouard Chatton was born on 11 October 1883 in Romont.
When did Édouard Chatton die?
Édouard Chatton died on 23 April 1947 in Banyuls-sur-Mer.
What was Édouard Chatton's occupation?
Édouard Chatton was a biologist, zoologist, protistologist and botanist.
What was Édouard Chatton known for?
Édouard Chatton was known for Eukaryotes and Prokaryotes.
What nationality was Édouard Chatton?
Édouard Chatton was French.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Édouard Chatton. https://biography.guide/edouard-chatton/
MLA: "Édouard Chatton." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/edouard-chatton/.
Chicago: "Édouard Chatton." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/edouard-chatton/.
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