Thomas Henry Huxley

Born on May 4, 1825

Ealing, London, England

Died June 29, 1895

United Kingdom, Sussex, Eastbourne

Research field biology

Famous achievement of Darwin's bulldog

Nationality England

Residence England

Research institution Royal School of Mines

University of London

Alma mater Charing Cross Hospital

University of London

Tutor Thomas Wharton Jones

Student Michael Foster

Thomas Thomas Henry Huxley (FRS, May 4, 1825 – June 29, 1895) was a British biologist who was known as "a staunch follower of Darwin" for his defense of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. called.

His scientific arguments against Richard Owen's theory showed strong similarities in the brain anatomy of humans and gorillas. Interestingly, Huxley did not fully accept many of Darwin's views (such as gradualism), and he was more interested in promoting a materialist scientific spirit than in defending the theory of natural selection.

As an advocate of science popularization, he coined the concept "agnosticism" to describe his attitude towards religious beliefs. (See Thomas Henry Huxley and Agnosticism)

He is also credited with the creation of biogenesis (the belief that all cells originate from other cells) and abiogenesis (the belief that life comes from The concept of inanimate matter) is well known.

Experience

Huxley was born in Ealing, west London, the seventh of eight children of local mathematics teacher George Huxley. At the age of 17, he received a scholarship and began formal medical education at Charing Cross Hospital. At the age of twenty, he passed his first medical examination at the University of London, with top marks in both anatomy and physiology. In 1845, he published his first scientific paper describing a hitherto undiscovered layer of the hair's inner sheath, which has since been called "Huxley's layer."

Afterwards, Huxley went to the British Navy to seek a job, and was awarded the position of surgical officer on board the warship HMS Rattlesnake, which was about to go to the Torres Strait for an exploration mission. The Rattlesnake left England on December 3, 1846. As soon as it arrived in the southern hemisphere, Huxley devoted himself to studying marine invertebrates. He began sending his findings back to England. One of his papers, "On the Anatomy of the Jellyfishes and Their Kinship," was published in the "Philosophical Transactions" of the Royal Society in 1849. Huxley combined the Medusae, Hydroids, and Sertularian polyps into one class and named it the class Hydrozoa. He found that the most common feature of this class of organisms is that they have a central cavity or digestive tract surrounded by a double membrane. This is a characteristic of what is now called Cnidaria. He also likened this feature to the serous and mucoid structures present in the embryos of higher animals.

Huxley's achievements were recognized, and he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society when he returned to England in 1850. The following year, he was not only awarded the Royal Medal at the age of 26, but was also elected as a member of the Senate.

In 1888, he was awarded the Copley Medal by the Royal Society.

His health began to deteriorate in 1885. In 1890 he moved from London to the port city of Eastbourne, where he died after suffering from illness.

Huxley founded a very famous family in British academic circles, including his grandson Aldous Huxley (writer), Sir Julian Huxley (UNESCO President) Chairman, founder of the World Wildlife Fund), Sir Andrew Huxley (physiologist, Nobel Prize winner).

Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.