Caspar Friedrich Wolff (* 18 January 1734 in Berlin; "† 22 February 1794 in sank Petersburg) was a German physiologist and one the founder of the modern Embryologie. It could disprove and show the view of the of the embryos on the basis microscopic investigations with plants and animals, how these develop during the embryo genesis.

Biografie

Early years and training

Caspar Friedrich Wolff was born 1734 as a son of the cutter master Johann Wolff and its Mrs. Anna Sophie Wolff geb. Stiebeler in Berlin. It had Anna Sophia (born 1732) and Maria Elisabeth (born 1732) of three older brothers and sisters with Christian Friedrich (born 1728). Its father originated from Prenzlau and in Berlin had established themselves and the citizen rights had acquired. Over its youth is not as well as nothing at all well-known, one white only that he 1753 with 19 years citizens of Berlin the Collegium medico chirurgicum, which visited military-medical apprentice position of the royal Academy of Sciences to Berlin. Here different tidy members of the academy informed the students and offered courses in surgery, anatomy, microscopy, chemistry and Botanik. Among them was some the most well-known researchers of the time, about Peter Simon Pallas, Johann Friedrich Meckel, Johann God-dear Gleditsch, Johann Nathanael dear-boldly and Johann Heinrich Pott. Before Wolffs study time was jetty RH Louis Moreau de Maupertuis of the directors/conductors of the academy, to which except for an expedition after Lappland to the degree measurement of the north pole also for its writings over the germ development of the animals admits became. It expressed itself against the theories, according to which the embryo and thus the new generation were contained of the nut/mother (according to the theory of the Ovisten) trained in the egg or in the Spermium of the father (according to the theory of the Animalculisten). It researched at the transmission of deformations, particularly from anomalies of toe with chickens and dogs and the Sechsfingrigkeit at citizens of Berlin a family, as well as over hybrids in the animal realm. The Urzeugungstheorien, which was set up by George it Louis Leclerc de Buffon as well as John Turberville Needham, could not explain the generation for it and it energized an intensive microscopic research as clarifying this question. Maupertuis left Berlin 1752, its writings was however further popular and inspired also Caspar Friedrich Wolff with its Studien.Im year 1755 went to Wolff to the medical faculty after resounds and worked there under Andreas Elian which Dekan of the university and president of the German academy of the natural scientists Leopoldina, at its thesis with the title Theoria generationis, which he locked on 28 November 1759. Whether actually supported it with its work or this developed under a citizen of Berlin doctor father, is not well-known, since in the thesis writing no name is called. It was affected in any case by the physician Philipp Adolf which endorsed like Wolff the germ development from simple fabrics (Epigenese), as well as by Heinrich Christian Alberti, which accomplished regularly botanische lectures and excursion ions. In its work Wolff represented the Embryonalentwicklung of the plants and those of the animals on the basis microscopic investigations, in addition he formulated a theory, according to which the development of new organs is done during the embryo genesis via one "„substantial Kraft "“, which he does not designate more exactly, however also for the nourishing processes of the organisms makes responsible. Thus it confronts its theory of the development of the embryo from relatively undifferentiated fabric of the theory of the after which in the germ all structures should be already contained. Its work found both with trailers of a similar view and with a set of critics of the Epigenese acknowledgment.

Vocational entrance and early training activity

After one attained a doctorate to Wolff, he endeavored around an employment as academic teachers and applied with different universities, under it about that in and in Rinteln. Toward end of the yearly the mathematician Leonhard Euler, who was a good friend Maupertuis' and a deputy director of the citizens of Berlin Academy of Sciences, recommended Wolff for a Professur to the university in sank Petersburg. It described Wolff as a young man:

"„which completely excellently itself to the Kaiserl. Academie would send. The same has seriously no inclination to practice Medica, but puts simply on studying and experimenting. "“(after Jahn 2001, P. 102)

Since however Prussia and Russia stood at that time in the war, Wolff at this time not yet appointed after sank Petersburg. Instead it served from 1761 to 1763, up to the end of the seven-year-old of war, as an army surgeon in the field hospital in Breslau for the Prussian army. Here it was freed from the highest field physician Christian Andreas Cothenius due to its knowledge from active service and should give the lectures on anatomy. 1763 were dissolved the field hospital. From this time the first biographic representation of its work originates by Christian Ludwig Mursinna, which it trained here and which its assistant became later. Mursinna, which became starting from 1787 professor at the Collegium medico chirurgicum and a surgeon to the represented Wolff as a very good teacher:

"„Therefore it all most fruitful instruction to enjoy knew, to it also soon all field and city physicians participated. Wolff had a so properly clear, logical lecture that everyone understood him easily and more or less thoroughly instruct itself could, how this the monthly exams testified. "“(after Jahn 2001, P. 103)

Wolff had applied already 1762 at the Collegium medico chirurgicum in Berlin to be allowed to give lectures. The Collegium rejected the request, since it would have represented a special arrangement against the premise that only tidy members of the academy lectures were allowed to hold. Cothenius, which was at this time Dekan at the Obercollegium medicum, gave permission to Wolff in the consequence for holding private lectures. This very successfully did Wolff for four years, although he had to bear differently than the professors of the Collegium the cost of its demonstration objects as well as the space rents themselves. This success was some professors a thorn in the eye, it and their students became sharp critics of the teaching methods Wolffs. The research work Wolffs concentrated also during this time very strongly on the observation of the Embryonalentwicklung, which it accomplished at chicken embryos. It succeeded to it better and better to represent the processes which led later in its publication "„across the formation of the intestine channel in chickens "“. It stood for these work in constant contact with Albrecht of Haller, which rejected the Epigenesis theory, however large interest in Wolffs work showed. The sympathetic consideration changed after a publication Wolffs 1766, which much polarize-mix against the and particularly against a publication of Charles Bonnet against the Epigenesis directed. Albrecht of Haller represented its opinion to Wolffs theories with a clear sentence in its text book "„to Elementa physiologiae corporis humani "“: "„nulla est epigenesis "“(on German: "„There are no Epigenese "“). It justified this definition with the fact that nothing could result from nature, thus from Epigenese, since it is created nevertheless by God. Wolff reacted to it with confusion, since he considered side correct his Epigenesis theory, on which others the arguments of the words of Hallers than weightily regarded. It wrote:

"„that I do not know almost, what I am to make in the future regarding the development of the generation theory. "“(after Jahn 2001, P. 106)

Wolff kept the call simultaneous on a chair as a professor for anatomy and after physiology sank to Petersburg as well as the invitation to become the member of the there Academy of Sciences. Wolff accepted this offer and met to 15. May 1767 in sank Petersburg. It did not lead its embryo-logical work in continued to sink Petersburg, published there however its results to the emergence of the intestine channel 1769 for the first time.

Articles in category "Caspar Friedrich Wolff"

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