Curt Alfred Herbst (29 May 1866 – 9 May 1946) was a German embryologist and zoologist who studied development of cells and tissues. He noted the mechanosensory organs now known as '' Herbst corpuscles'' in the bills of birds. Herbst was born to Heinrich and Henriette Martin in

Meuselwitz Meuselwitz () is a town in the Altenburger Land district, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated 12 km northwest of Altenburg and 11 km east of Zeitz. History During World War II, a subcamp of the Buchenwald concentration camp operated ...

, Thuringia. He was educated in Geneva and Jena where his teachers included

Carl Vogt August Christoph Carl Vogt (; ; 5 July 1817 – 5 May 1895) was a German scientist, philosopher, popularizer of science, and politician who emigrated to Switzerland. Vogt published a number of notable works on zoology, geology and physiology. A ...

and

Ernst Haeckel Ernst Heinrich Philipp August Haeckel (; ; 16 February 1834 – 9 August 1919) was a German zoologist, natural history, naturalist, eugenics, eugenicist, Philosophy, philosopher, physician, professor, marine biology, marine biologist and artist ...

. He also went to the Polytechnic in Zurich to study chemistry. He studied echinoderm larvae and noted the effect of lithium ion gradients on morphogenesis and noted sex-determination in ''

Bonellia viridis ''Bonellia viridis'', the green spoonworm, is a marine worm (class Polychaeta, phylum Annelida) noted for displaying exceptional sexual dimorphism and for the biocidal properties of a pigment in its skin.Murina, G. (2008). Bonellia viridis Rola ...

'' through environmental concentrations of ions. After obtaining a Ph.D. in 1889 he visited Southeast Asia along with

Hans Driesch Hans Adolf Eduard Driesch (28 October 1867 – 17 April 1941) was a German biologist and philosopher from Bad Kreuznach. He is most noted for his early experimental work in embryology and for his neo-vitalist philosophy of entelechy. He has also ...

, visiting Ceylon, Java and the Trieste marine station. He then went to Heidelberg to study under

Otto Bütschli Johann Adam Otto Bütschli (3 May 1848 – 2 February 1920) was a German zoologist and professor at the University of Heidelberg. He specialized in invertebrates and insect development. Many of the groups of protists were first recognized by him. ...

and became an associate professor in 1906. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Halle. His students included Helmuth Plessner.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Herbst, Curt Alfred 19th-century German zoologists 1866 births 1946 deaths 20th-century German zoologists Scientists from Thuringia