Erasmus Darwin (for early concepts on respiration)

Erasmus Darwin, a respected 18th-century physician and poet, proposed early ideas about respiration that recognized its role in producing energy within the body. He believed that blood absorbed oxygen from the lungs, which helped sustain life and activity. Although his theories lacked the scientific detail we understand today, Darwin's work contributed to the foundational understanding of how breathing supplies oxygen necessary for the body's metabolic processes. His insights helped pave the way for later discoveries about respiration and the vital link between oxygen intake and cellular energy.