Dedicating his life to the study of wildlife, Ernst Haeckel made many discoveries and made a great contribution to science. Learn more about the scientific activities of the scientist later in the article.
Ernst Haeckel: biography
German philosopher and naturalist E. Haeckel was born in Potsdam in 1834. After graduating from school in Meserburg, he studied medicine and natural science at the Universities of Berlin and Würzburg. He defended his thesis in zoology at the University of Jena. He received his medical degree in 1858.
Ernst Haeckel showed an extraordinary interest in microscopic anatomy and zoology. In 1859, he went on an expedition to Italy, where he studied plankton, sponges, worms, and discovered new types of radiolarians. Upon his return, the scientist takes the post of professor, and then assistant professor at the University of Jena and teaches comparative anatomy.
Since 1863, active social and scientific activities began. He gives a speech on Darwinism, publishes his printed works, formulates scientific theories. At the end of the 19th century, the explorer went on an expedition to Egypt, Algeria, the islands of Madeira and Ceylon. Later he traveled to Syria, Corsica, Tenerife, Norway, Gibr altarand other places, studying their wildlife and making sketches.
In 1867, Ernst Haeckel marries Agnes Huschke. They have a son W alter, daughters Emma and Elizabeth. The death of his wife in 1915 greatly affected the he alth and well-being of the scientist. He died in Germany on August 9, 1919.
Research and publications
Obtaining a medical degree did not affect the professional activities of the scientist. In many ways, his studies and worldview were influenced by communication with Charles Darwin. Ernst Haeckel began publishing books in 1866. His first work is called General Morphology of Organisms. Some time later, the book "Natural History of the World Creation" is published, where he speaks out in support of evolutionary theory.
In 1866, he forms an improved version of the biogenetic law formulated several years earlier. In this regard, Ernst Haeckel builds the theory of gastrea, which explains the origin of multicellular organisms from unicellular organisms. Thanks to this, Haeckel becomes known in scientific circles.
In 1874, the publication "Anthropogeny, or the History of the Development of Man" is published, in which he sets out his next theory about the existence of an intermediate link between ape and man.
During the expedition in Africa and Asia, he writes works on jellyfish, deep-sea fish, radiolarians, after which he dedicates the book "Systematic Phylogeny" to the study of these organisms. In total, Ernst Haeckel wrote about 26 works, some of them have been translated into Russian.
General morphology of organisms
Another discipline to which Ernst Haeckel made a significant contribution is ecology. In his first book, General Morphology of Organisms, the scientist puts forward a theory about the need to separate it into a separate biological discipline. In his opinion, the complex processes of interaction between living organisms and their relationship with the environment should be the subject of study of a science called ecology.
Ernst Haeckel believed that the main task of this discipline is the study of organic and inorganic environmental conditions to which living organisms are forced to adapt. Under the inorganic nature, the scientist understood climatic factors, such as light, atmospheric electricity, moisture, heat, as well as the composition of soil and water. Haeckel attributed all types of relationships between organisms to organic.
Biogenetic law
Inspired by evolutionary theory, Haeckel formulated a law that is also called the Haeckel-Muller law. It is based on the assumption that during development the individual organism repeats the forms of the main stages of its evolution. That is, by observing the development of the embryo, one can trace how the natural formation of its species took place.
For the first time such a hypothesis was put forward by Charles Darwin in the publication "The Origin of Species", but it was not very clear. In 1864, Fritz Müller, in For Darwin, says that the historical development of the species is reflected in the development of the individual. Two years later, Haeckel, on the basis ofhis own research gave a clear formulation of these thoughts under the name of the biogenetic law.
The law is often used as a confirmation of the Darwinian theory, although at present there are many facts that can refute its correctness. For example, in the initial stages, the development of vertebrates is not the same. Similarities are noted only at later stages.
Gastrea theory
Based on the biogenetic law, Ernst Heinrich Haeckel creates a theory that explains the origin of multicellular organisms from unicellular organisms. In his opinion, the first multicellular creature had similar features to the gastrula, an embryonic form consisting of a layer of external and internal cells.
According to the theory, a unicellular organism began division, in which the daughter cells did not disperse, but formed a cluster. Subsequently, they began to differ in functional and anatomical features - some were responsible for movement, others for digestion. So, according to Haeckel's theory, a multicellular organism was formed, which was called gastrea. He reminded the first coelenterates.
Conclusion
During his life, Ernst Heinrich Haeckel published many works, introduced the terms ecology, pithecanthropus, ontogenesis and phylogeny into science. Exploring the marine fauna on expeditions, he discovered more than a hundred species of radiolarians. Haeckel was among the first zoologists in Germany to join Darwin's theory. Supporting evolutionary theory in theirresearch, he tried to determine the system of development of the animal kingdom, formulated the biogenetic law and the theory of the origin of multicellular organisms.
