- Born
- 28 October 1867
- Died
- 16 April 1941
- Country
- German Empire
- Field
- biologist, zoologist, philosopher
- In the library
- 1 work, named in 12 passages elsewhere
- Facts from
- Wikidata · Wikipedia · Open Library
Divided sea-urchin eggs
Bateson cited Driesch's experiments on Echinus eggs. When the first two cells were separated, each grew into a separate Pluteus larva. When the separation was incomplete, a double monster resulted1. Loeb later wrote that twins arise from one egg when the first two cells come apart3. Driesch noticed that eggs in lime-free sea-water tended to give twins. Loeb then found that removing sodium or potassium had a similar effect3.
Regeneration and entelechy
Morgan reported Driesch's definition of regeneration as the re-awakening of factors that restart the elementary processes of development2. Child said Driesch took regulation to rest on a non-mechanistic principle, entelechy, which involves a purpose or end5. In the 1908 work, Driesch placed the activity of entelechy in the field of chemistry and states of aggregation, with catalysis playing a leading role4.
Objections and reception
Child answered with hydranth regeneration in Tubularia. Driesch had read the shorter hydranths in short pieces as an adaptation under entelechy. Child found the adaptation incomplete and explained it by partial inhibition6. Loeb said Driesch assumed a homogeneous egg, and called that supposition wrong7. Rádl wrote that after 1905 Driesch's contemporaries saw Driesch as a philosopher more than a scientist8.
Working with eggs of Echinus, Driesch found that if the first two segmentationspheres were artificially separated, each grew into a separate Pluteus ;
Bateson, W., 1894 · Materials for the Study of Variation Treated with Especial Regard to… · open at passage 127Driesch defines regeneration, therefore, as the re-awakening of those factors that once more bring into play, by means of division and growth, the elementary processes
Morgan, T. H., 1901 · Regeneration · open at passage 53The experiments of Driesch and others have taught us that twins originate from one egg in this manner, namely, that the first two cells into which the egg divides after fertilization become separated from each other.
Loeb, J., 1912 · The Mechanistic Conception of Life · open at passage 361We have said already several times that the field of chemistry and of the states of aggregation is the proper sphere for the activity of entelechy
Driesch, H., 1908 · The Science and Philosophy of the Organism · open at passage 382Driesch, on the other hand, postulates a non-mechanistic principle, to which he applies the Aristotelian term “entelechy,” as the basis of regulation and regards it as involving a purpose or end to be attained.
Child, C. M., 1924 · Physiological Foundations of Behavior · open at passage 552Driesch has made much of this point as an indication that an adaptation of the length of the hydranth to the length of the piece takes place in order that a stem as well as a hydranth may be formed.
Child, C. M., 1915 · Individuality in Organisms · open at passage 232A study of Driesch's very interesting and important book1 shows that he assumes the eggs of certain animals, e. g., the sea urchin, to consist of homogeneous material;
Loeb, J., 1916 · The Organism as a Whole, from a Physicochemical Viewpoint · open at passage 210Since 1905 Driesch's contemporaries have looked upon him as a philosopher rather than as a scientist.
Rádl, E., 1930 · The History of Biological Theories · open at passage 917
