Discovery of the Human Egg Cell

Conception

Historical Notes

2. Discovery of the Human Egg Cell

Karl Ernst von Baer
(1792-1876)

Karl Ernst von Baer was born and died in Estonia but made his career as a scientist in Germany and Russia. As a professor of zoology and anatomy at the German university of Königsberg (today Kaliningrad), he studied the embryonic development of mammals. In the course of this work, he discovered the mammalian and human egg cell in 1826 and then published his discovery one year later. However, his scientific colleagues did not fully comprehend the importance of his research, and thus some of his more ambitious projects remained unrealized. He later accepted a position as a zoologist and anatomist.at the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg, where he also laid the groundwork for the new fields of anthropological and ecological studies in Russia.  He died in the country of his birth as an internationally renowned scientist.

[Course 2] [Description] [How to use it] [Introduction] [Conception] [Historical Notes] [Beginning of Life?] [No definite answer] [Egg and Sperm] [Coitus] [Fertilization] [Segmentation] [Implantation] [Multiple Pregnancies] [Pregnancy] [Birth] [Infertility] [Contraception] [Abortion] [Additional Reading] [Examination]