Famous biologists and their discoveries

Biology – is the science about common properties of all living things. Its functioning as an independent discipline, she began relatively recently, in the late 19th century. His appearance science owes the issues that existed between the definition of living and non-living natural bodies. Despite the much later appearance of biology, this question troubled man for a long time. He was raised in ancient times, in the Middle ages and in the Renaissance.

Due To the fact that the word "biology" was used only in the late 19th century, scientists such as biologists, had not existed. Those who studied and developed the discipline of nature, when life was called by naturalists, doctors or scholars of science.

Who was today so widely known biologists?

Example:

- Gregor Mendel-the monk.
- Carl Linnaeus – doctor.
- Charles Darwin – a wealthy gentleman.
- Louis Pasteur – chemist.

Antiquity

Basic knowledge about plants and animals originally laid in the writings of Aristotle. A major role in the development of biology has played and his student Toofast.

Of great importance to gain knowledge about living organisms had the writings of Dioscorides. This ancient thinker amounted to a description of a variety of drugs, almost six hundred of which were plants. In the same period worked and Pliny, collecting information about natural bodies.

Despite the fact that the merits of all the thinkers of the past played a significant role in the development of biology, the most impressive mark in the history of this discipline was left by Aristotle. He wrote a great number of works that were dedicated to animals. In his writings, Aristotle considered the issues of knowledge of individuals representing terrestrial fauna. The thinker has developed its own principles of classification groups of animals. It was based on the intrinsic properties of the species. Aristotle also discussed the issues of development and breeding animals.

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Middle ages

The Doctors, who lived in this historical period included in my practice a large number of achievements of antiquity. However, the Roman Empire seized by the Arabs, fell into disrepair. And conquerors translated the works of Aristotle and other ancient thinkers on their language. But this knowledge was not lost.

Arabic medicine of the Middle ages contributed to the development of the discipline of life. All this happened in the 8-13 centuries during the so-called Islamic Golden ages. For example, al-Jahson living in 781-869 years, there were thoughts about food chains and the existence of evolution. But the founder of Arabic botany still consider the Kurdish author of al-Dinawari (828-896 gg.). They were described more than 637 plant species, and is also produced discussion of the phases of development and growth.

Table book of all European physicians until the 17th century was the work of the famous physician Avicenna, where he first introduced the concepts of pharmacology and clinical research. Also noteworthy are the study of the Spanish Arab Ibn Zuhr. Through the opening he proved that scabies is caused by the subcutaneous presence of the parasite. He also introduced experimental surgery and spent the first medical research on animals.

In the Middle ages acquired fame and some European scientists. One of them came albert the Great, Hildegard von bingen, and Frederick II, which was made a Canon of natural history. This work was widely used for the study in the first European universities where medicine stood in second place after theology and philosophy.

Rebirth

Only the transition to the era of prosperity made possible the revival of interest in physiology and natural history. Biologists of that time had widely studied the plant world. So, fux, Brunfelsia and some other authors were released numerous publications on this topic. In these works the beginning of a full-scale description of plant life.

The Renaissance was the beginning of the development of modern anatomy - discipline, which is based on the dissection of human bodies. the Impetus to this direction was given by the book of Vesalius.

A contribution to the development of biology has made such famous artists as Leonardo da Vinci and Albrecht dürer. They often worked together with naturalists and was interested in the exact structure of the body of animals and humans, showing their detailed anatomical structure.

A contribution to the study of nature has made and the alchemists. So, Paracelsus experimented with biological and pharmacological sources of drug production.

Seventeenth century

The Most important period of this century is the establishment of natural history, which became the basis of:

classification of plants and animals;
- the further development of anatomy.
- the opening of the second circulation;
- early microscopic studies;
- the discovery of microorganisms;
- first descriptions of red blood cells and sperm cells of animals and plant cells.

In the same period, the English physician William Harvey during the conducted experiments, dissections of animals and observations of the circulation were made a number of important discoveries. The researcher achieved the following:

- has detected the presence of venous valve, allowing blood to flow in a reverse direction;
- discovered that blood circulation is in addition to the large and still in a small circle.
- showed the presence of isolated left and right ventricles.

In the 17th century began to emerge and a whole new area of research. Associated she was with the advent of the microscope.

The Inventor of this device, a craftsman from Holland Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, conducted independent observations, and the results were sent to the Royal society of London. Leeuwenhoek described and sketched a large number of microscopic organisms (bacteria, ciliates, etc.), and the sperm cells and red blood cells of a person.

Eighteenth century

In this century has continued to evolve the physiology, anatomy and natural history. All this created prerequisites for the emergence of biology. Significant events for the discipline about the nature of living bodies was the study of Caspar Friedrich Wolfe and Albrecht von Haller. The results of these works greatly expanded the knowledge in the field of plant development and embryology of animals.

Origin of biology

The term and until the 19th century can be found in the writings of some naturalists. However, its meaning was completely different. And only at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries three authors independently from each other began to use the term “biology” in the sense in which it is familiar to us now. Scientists Lamarck, Treviranus and Burdach designated by this word the science that describes the General features of living bodies.

Nineteenth century

The Most significant events for biology in this period was:
- development of paleontology;
- the emergence of the biological basis of stratigraphy;
- the emergence of the cell theory:
- formation of comparative embryology and anatomy.

The biologists of the 19th century began the fight against infectious diseases. Thus, the English physician Jenner invented a vaccine, but the result of the researches of Robert Koch was the discovery of the causative agent of tuberculosis and the creation of many types of drugs.

Breakthrough discovery

The Central event in biology that occurred during the second half of the 19th century, was the publication of books of Charles Darwin's “On the origin of species”. This question scientist developed during twenty-one years, and only once convinced of the correctness of the findings, decided to publish his work. The book was a huge success. But at the same time, she stirred the minds of men, as it is entirely contrary to the concept of life on Earth that had been contained in the Bible. So, the scientist, the biologist, Darwin argued that evolution of species has continued on our planet many millions of years. And allegedly the Bible for the Foundation of the world was enough for six days.

Another discovery of Charles Darwin in biology was the assertion that all living organisms are fighting with each other for habitat and food. Scientist noted that even within the same species are individuals with specific characteristics. These distinctive properties give the animal increased the chances for survival. Further specific characteristics are transmitted to offspring and gradually become common to the whole species. More weak and unfit animals thus die out. Such a process Darwin called natural selection.

The Greatest merit of the scientist is that he decided the main problem of biology associated with the question of the origin and evolution of the organic world. Today the whole history of this discipline is divided into two periods. The first one was before Darwin. It was characterized by an unconscious desire to identifying the evolutionary principle. The second stage in the development of biology began after the publication by Darwin of his greatest work. Since then, the scientists continued the development of an evolutionary principle in a conscious fashion.

The Activities of Russian explorers

Many important discoveries in the field of discipline of living organisms made of domestic biologists. So, in 1820 P. Vishnevsky for the first time it was suggested the presence of specific substances in antiscorbutic foods. It is, according to the scientist, contributes to the proper functioning of the body.

Another Russian scientist – N. Lunin – opened in 1880 and vitamins. He proved that the composition of food there are some elements that are vital to the health of the whole organism. The term “vitamin” was created from the combination of two Latin roots. The first of these – “Vitus” – meaning “life”, and the second – “Amin” – is translated as “a compound of nitrogen”.

Significantly increased interest in science among Russian scientists in the 50-60 years of the 19th century. It was caused by the propaganda of his world revolutionary-minded Democrats. An important factor was the global development of the natural Sciences. At this time, started such domestic scientists-biologists, such as K. Timiryazev and P. Sechenov, Mechnikov and S. Botkin, Pavlov, and many other doctors and scientists.

The Great physiologist

Fame Pavlov - scientist-biologist - got after the research of the Central nervous system. These works of the great physiologist became the starting point for further study of various psychic phenomena.

The Main merit of the Pavlovawas the development of the latest principles, studying the activities of the organism in indissoluble connection with the external environment. This approach was the basis for the development of not only biology, but also medicine, psychology and pedagogy. The works of the great physiologist, was a source of neurophysiology – teaching on the higher nervous activity.

Twentieth century

In the early 20th century biologists continued to make an invaluable contribution to the history of the discipline of living organisms. So, in 1903, first appeared a term such as hormones. In biology, he was introduced by Ernest Starling and William Balsom. In 1935, the notion of "ecosystem". It was introduced into the discipline Arthur George. Tansley. This term refers to a complex ecological unit. Also biologists continued to work on the definitions of all phases of state of a living cell.

Many researchers have worked in our country. Biologists of Russia has made a great contribution to the development of the discipline of living bodies. Among them are the following:

- M. S. Color, first has established the existence of two modifications of chlorophyll;
- N. Timofeev-resovskii, which is one of the founders of radiobiology, which established the dependence of radiation dose on the intensity of mutational processes.
- V. F. Kuprevich, who opened extracellular enzymes secreted at the endings of the root system of higher plants;
- N. K. Koltsov – the founder of experimental biology in Russia.

In the history of the discipline of living bodies have also introduced many names of biological scientists of countries of Western Europe. So, the beginning of the century was marked by the discovery of chromosomes as cellular structures that carry genetic potential. To such conclusion independently from each other for many researchers.

In the years 1910-1915 famous scientists-biologists, headed by Thomas hunt Morgan developed the chromosome theory of heredity. In the 20 – 30 years of the twentieth century originated in population genetics. In the second half of the century discoveries have led to the creation of sociobiology and evolutionary psychology. A significant contribution to this made and Soviet biologists.

The Great traveler and naturalist

A Huge role in the development of the discipline of living bodies played a biologist Vavilov. He is considered a grower and geneticist, breeder and applied botanist, geographer and traveler. However, the main focus of his life was the study and development of biology.

The Vavilov was a traveler who discovered not a new country. He introduced the world to the previously unknown plants, which impressed his contemporaries by the variety of its forms. Many scientists-biologists of Russia noted that this was a true visionary in his field. In addition, Vavilov was a wonderful organizer, state and public figure. This scientist discovered as a fundamental law in biology, which is chemistry, Mendeleev periodic system.

What is the main contribution of Vavilov? In the law of ranks of similarity and the statement of the existence of regularities in the vast world of fauna, which allowed to predict the appearance of new types.

Vladimir Vernadsky

From the curriculum we are familiar with such names as Newton and Galileo, Einstein and Darwin. They were all brilliant visionaries, people who opened new horizons in the knowledge of society and nature. Many of those geniuses had in the 20th century. Among them – biologist Vernadsky. It can be safely attributed to those researchers who not only saw, but also realize new, previously unknown phenomena.

Of Vernadsky's Work covers a wide range of aspects of science. This General field of Geochemistry and age determination of the rock, and the role of living bodies in the processes of geochemical in nature. Vernadsky put forward the theory of the so-called genetic Mineralogy and also developed the issue of isomorphism. Also scientist considered the founder of biogeochemistry. According to his ideas, the totality of all living organisms in the biosphere initiates the matter of inorganic origin in a continuous cycle. This process facilitates the transformation of solar radiation.

Vernadsky examined the chemical composition and the incidence of plant and animal organisms. Similar work was carried out to study the migration processes of chemical elements in the earth's crust. Among the discoveries of Vernadsky, and is an indication of the existence of organisms that are hubs of calcium, silicon, iron, etc.