Biology and Its Makers : With Portraits and Other Illustrations

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Locy, William A. (William Albert), 1857-1924.

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"Biology and Its Makers" by William A. Locy is a historical account written in the early 20th century. The book explores the development of biological science through the lives and contributions of key figures in the field. It aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how biological ideas emerged and evolved, addressing various epochs in the history of biology, from ancient times to the modern era. The opening of the book emphasizes the increasing inquiries from students and professionals about the foundation and progress of biology, particularly highlighting the importance of understanding organic evolution in context with other biological research. Locy outlines his intention to present a non-technical narrative, making the subject accessible for a broader audience. He notes significant advances in biology during the 19th century, the impact of microscopy, and the philosophical underpinnings established by earlier thinkers, preparing readers for an in-depth exploration of how biological science unified through the contributions of its pioneers. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Contents:

An outline of the rise of biology and of the epochs in its history

Vesalius and the overthrow of authority in science

William Harvey and experimental observation

The introduction of the microscope and the progress of independent observation

The progress of minute anatomy

Linnæus and scientific natural history

Cuvier and the rise of comparative anatomy

Bichat and the birth of histology

The rise of physiology: Harvey. Haller. Johannes Müller

Von Baer and the rise of embryology

The cell-theory: Schleiden. Schwann. Schultze

Protoplasm the physical basis of life

The work of Pasteur, Koch, and others

Heredity and germinal continuity: Mendel. Galton. Weismann

The science of fossil life

What evolution is: the evidence upon which it rests, etc.

Theories of evolution: Lamarck. Darwin

Theories continued: Wiesmann. De Vries

The rise of evolutionary thought

Retrospect and prospect. Present tendencies in biology.

Credits:

Produced by Chris Curnow, Graeme Mackreth and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)

Notes:

Reading ease score: 49.8 (College-level). Difficult to read.

Release date is 2019-02-11