At the Pasteur Institute, Mechnikov focused on studying the aging processes. In his works 'The Nature of Man' (1903) and 'The Prolongation of Life: Optimistic Studies' (1907), he presented his views on the nature of aging and ways to slow it down. Mechnikov introduced the term 'gerontology' into scientific discourse and effectively created this science. He believed that aging was caused by poisoning the body with putrefaction products in the intestine and advocated the consumption of fermented dairy products.
Significance
Founding gerontology as a science