Alexander Gurwitsch

Alexander Gurwitsch (or Aleksandr Gavrilovich Gurvich; Russian: Алекса́ндр Гаври́лович Гу́рвич) (January 24, 1874 – March 27, 1954) was a Russian biologist and embryologist who formulated the biophoton theory and discovered the mitogenetic radiation.

Early Life and Education[edit | edit source]

Alexander Gurwitsch was born on January 24, 1874, in Poltava, a city in present-day Ukraine. He pursued his education at the University of Saint Petersburg, where he studied medicine and biology.

Career and Research[edit | edit source]

Gurwitsch served as a professor at the University of Saint Petersburg and later at the University of Moscow. His research primarily focused on the field of embryology, where he made significant contributions.

In 1923, Gurwitsch discovered the phenomenon of mitogenetic radiation, a type of ultraweak photon emission from living cells during cell division. He proposed that this radiation was responsible for cell division regulation, a theory that was initially met with skepticism but has since gained acceptance.

Gurwitsch's most significant contribution to biology is his theory of the biological field, which he developed to explain the organization and development of biological systems. This theory, also known as the morphogenetic field theory, has had a profound impact on developmental biology.

Legacy[edit | edit source]

Gurwitsch's work has had a lasting impact on the field of biology, particularly in the areas of embryology and cell biology. His theories continue to influence current research in these fields.