See also: 1838 in science, other events of 1839, 1840 in science and the list of years in science.

Table of contents

1 Biology 2 Chemistry 3 Exploration 4 Geology 5 Technology 6 Awards 7 Births 8 Deaths

Biology

• Theodor Schwann proposes that all living matter is made up of cells

• Carl Mosander discovers lanthanum

• James Clark Ross sets off on the first scientific expedition to survey Antarctica

• Roderick Murchison names the Silurian period

• January 9 - The French Academy of Sciences announces theDaguerreotype photography process
• Invention of the bicycle by Kirkpatrick Macmillan
• Invention of the fuel cell by William Grove
• Development of vulcanized rubber by Charles Goodyear
• Development of Babbitt metal by Isaac Babbitt

• Copley Medal: Robert Brown
• Wollaston Medal: Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg

• February 11 - Josiah Willard Gibbs, theoretical physicist/chemist († 1903)
• April 12 - Nikolai Przewalski, explorer († 1888)