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Thomas Henry Huxley's developmental view of the cell

Abstract

In 1853, the British physiologist Thomas Henry Huxley roundly criticized German cell theory. Historians have had difficulty explaining how such a 'progressive' biologist could have rejected cellular autonomy and the central role of the nucleus in cell life. The key to Huxley's thinking is provided by understanding his 'epigenetic' philosophy of biology.

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Figure 1: Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–1895).
Figure 2: Albert von Kölliker (1817–1905).
Figure 3: Various cells, including the newly discovered 'primordial utricle' in vegetable cells.
Figure 4: Periplast metamorphosis in the Sphagnum leaf.

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DATABASES

Encyclopedia of Life Sciences:

Charles Darwin

Thomas Henry Huxley

Matthias Schleiden

Theodor Schwann

FURTHER READING

The Huxley file

Evolution Pages

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Richmond, M. Thomas Henry Huxley's developmental view of the cell. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 3, 61–65 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrm701

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