Hans Hugo Bruno Selye, CC (Selye János, 1907 - 1982), was a Canadian endocrinologist of Austrian-Hungarian origin. The Order of Canada is Canadas highest civilian honour, with membership awarded to those who exemplify the Orders Latin motto Desiderantes meliorem patriam, which means, Desiring a better country. ... 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Endocrinology is a branch of medicine dealing with disorders of the endocrine system and its specific secretions called hormones. ...

His father was Austrian; his father was Hungarian. He did much important theoretical work on the non-specific response of the organism to stress. While he did not recognize all of the many aspects of glucocorticoids, Selye was aware of their role in this response. Some commentators considered him the first to demonstrate the existence of a separate stress disease, the stress syndrome, or general adaptation syndrome. This picture shows an exaggerated expression of stress. ... The name glucocorticoid derives from early observations that these hormones were involved in glucose metabolism. ... A disease is an abnormal condition of the body or mind that causes discomfort, dysfunction, or distress to the person afflicted or those in contact with the person. ... This picture shows an exaggerated expression of stress. ...

His initial inspiration for G.A.S came from an endocrinological experiment in which he injected mice with extracts of various organs. He at first believed to have discovered a new hormone but was proved wrong when every irritating substance he injected produced the same symptoms (swelling of the thymus, atrophy of the adrenal cortex, gastric and duodenal ulcers). This, paired with his observation that people with different diseases exhibit similar symptoms, led to his description of the effects of "noxious agents" as he at first called it. He later coined the term "stress", which has been accepted into the lexicon of various other languages.

To grossly oversimplify to the point of circular argument, Selye discovered and documented that stress differs from other physical responses in that stress is stressful whether the one receives good or bad news, whether the impulse is positive or negative. He called negative stress distress and positive stress eustress.The system whereby the body copes with stress, the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal system, was also first described by Selye.

He wrote Stress without Distress (1974), The Stress of Life (1956), and From dream to discovery; on being a scientist (1964). He worked as a professor and director of the Institute of Experimental Medicine and Surgery at the Université de Montréal. 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1974 calendar). ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Nintendo 64 emulator, see 1964 (Emulator). ... The Université de Montréal (UdeM) (University of Montreal) is one of four universities in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ...

In 1968 he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada. The Order of Canada is Canadas highest civilian honour, with membership awarded to those who exemplify the Orders Latin motto Desiderantes meliorem patriam, which means, Desiring a better country. ...

External links

• His biography at Hungary.hu