Archetypes of Sex - Unmasking Algae's Innocence, the Nathanael Pringsheim Revolution

Algae have helped shape our world: they absorb CO₂ and produce oxygen, without which we wouldn't exist today. They also contribute to building the world of tomorrow by combating climate change and providing essential resources for sustainable nutrition. The botanist Nathanael Pringsheim (1823-1894), contemporary of Charles Darwin, brought algae into the focus of science with his revolutionary discovery of their sexuality, what has since been considered a general principle of life.
This book offers readers:

• A captivating journey through the history of science, tracing the evolution from natural philosophy to modern science.
• An exploration of Pringsheim's revolutionary revelation of archetypes of sexuality in algae, a discovery then considered a universal principle of life.
• The first-ever account of the Pringsheim family, tragically torn apart during the Third Reich, and their significant contributions to the natural sciences.
• An enthralling narrative of the challenging journey to the establishment of the first German marine biological research station on Heligoland, for which Pringsheim was the patron.
• An appealingshowcase of magnificent, large-scale artistic interpretations of microscopic worlds, created by a master of the craft and scientific illustration.
• A kind invitation to kindle curiosity, nurture perseverance, and ignite a passion for research.
• A heartfelt tribute to a now largely forgotten naturalist, marking his 200th birthday, and last but not least
• An unexpected perspective on algae research, which Pringsheim dedicated himself to, and which is more relevant today than ever before.

gnt-verlag.de/1143
German language version available.

List of contents

Preface by the author

1  Influences: Science in transition

1.1  From a static to a dynamic world view

1.2  Schleiden and Schwann cell theory

1.3  Theory of evolution by Darwin and Wallace

1.4  German natural philosophy and idealistic morphology

1.5  Pringsheim's approach to research
2  Career:

The life of Nathanael Pringsheim

2.1  Childhood: Difficult school years together with Ferdinand Lassalle

2.2  Study, important teachers, and struggle for the doctorate

    2.2.1  From philosophy to medicine to botany

    2.2.2  The struggle for promotion

2.3  Political activities: March 1848

2.4  Scientific and personal achievements

2.5  Founder of one of the first botanical institutes

2.6  The last years in Berlin

2.7  Other founder activities

    2.7.1  Yearbooks for Scientific Botany

    2.7.2  German Botanical Society

    2.7.3  Reports of the German Botanical Society

2.8  Other members of the Pringsheim family

    2.8.1  The chemist Albert Ladenburg

    2.8.2  The physicists in the Pringsheim family

    2.8.3  The mathematician Alfred Pringsheim

    2.8.4  The biologist Ernst Georg Pringsheim

    2.8.5  Victims of the Nazi regime
3  Scientific work:

Archetypes of sexuality

3.1  Origins of sexuality in biology

3.2  Sexuality of plants

    3.2.1  Higher plants

    3.2.2  Lower plants

3.3  The sexual archetypes of algae

    3.3.1  Archetype I: Internal fertilization

    3.3.2  Archetype II: External fertilization

    3.3.3  Archetype III: Sexual-asexual generation change

3.4  Evolution of land plants: The importance of sexuality

    3.4.1  Variation I: Sexual dominance in mosses

    3.4.2  Variation II: Ssexual dominance in ferns

    3.4.3  Variation III: Protected sexuality in flowering plants

    3.4.4  On the advantage of sexual reproduction

3.5  Classification of Pringheim's work
4  Marine Biology:

Pringsheim's legacy on Helgoland

4.1  The exploration of the sea

    4.1.1  Helgoland: a marine biological hotspot

    4.1.2  Other European research stations

    4.1.3  The idea of a German research station

4.2  Biological Institute Heligoland

4.3  North Sea Museum

4.4  Botanical experimental garden

4.5  The Nathanael Pringsheim Foundation
5  Aesthetics:

Art forms of microscopy

6  Appendix

6.1  Literature

6.2  Image sources

6.2  About the author
Table of contents

Index

Product details

• Authors: Andreas Deutsch
• Publisher: GNT-Verlag
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Release: 01.09.2024, delayed
• EAN: 9783862251438
• ISBN: 978-3-86225-143-8
• No. of pages: 250
• Dimensions: 148 mm x 210 mm x 19 mm
• Weight: 450 g
• Illustrations: ca. 140 Figs.
• Subject: Humanities, art, music > History > Contemporary history (1945 to 1989)