Sigmund Exner
Encyclopedia
Sigmund Exner-Ewarten was an Austrian physiologist who was a native of Vienna. He was the son of philosopher Franz Serafin Exner (1802-1853), and had three renowned brothers; law professor Adolf Exner (1841-1894), physicist
Karl Exner (1842-1914) and physicist Franz Exner
(1849-1926).
He studied in Vienna
under Ernst Wilhelm von Brücke
(1819-1892), and in Heidelberg
under Hermann von Helmholtz
(1821-1894). In 1870 he received his degree and subsequently became an assistant at the physiological institute at the University of Vienna
. In 1891 he succeeded Ernst von Brücke as professor of physiology
and director of the institute of physiology. Also, he received honorary doctorates from the Universities of Leipzig
and Athens.
Sigmund Exner is known for his work in comparative physiology
, and perception psychology from a physiological standpoint. He conducted important research on localization of behavioral functionality in the brain, in particular studies on the functional architecture of the visual cortex
. He performed investigations on the sensitivity of retina
l regeneration, color contrast, hue adaptation and apparent motion
.
He explained how the compound eye functions, and in 1891 published "Die Physiologie der facettierten Augen von Krebsen und Insekten", describing the compound eye physiology of insect
s and crustacean
s. In 1899 Exner co-founded the Phonogrammarchiv in Vienna, which was an archive for recording acoustic
phenomena for scientific purposes.
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
Karl Exner (1842-1914) and physicist Franz Exner
Franz S. Exner
Franz Serafin Exner was an Austrian physicist.-Life:Exner comes from one of the most important university families of the Austrian-Hungarian empire. The same Exner family includes Adolf Exner, Karl Exner, Sigmund Exner, and Marie von Frisch. Exner the youngest of five children of parents Franz...
(1849-1926).
He studied in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
under Ernst Wilhelm von Brücke
Ernst Wilhelm von Brücke
Ernst Wilhelm Ritter von Brücke was a German physician and physiologist.He was born Ernst Wilhelm Brücke in Berlin. He graduated in medicine at University of Berlin in 1842, the following year he became esearch assistant to Johannes Peter Müller...
(1819-1892), and in Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
under Hermann von Helmholtz
Hermann von Helmholtz
Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand von Helmholtz was a German physician and physicist who made significant contributions to several widely varied areas of modern science...
(1821-1894). In 1870 he received his degree and subsequently became an assistant at the physiological institute at the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
. In 1891 he succeeded Ernst von Brücke as professor of physiology
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
and director of the institute of physiology. Also, he received honorary doctorates from the Universities of Leipzig
University of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
and Athens.
Sigmund Exner is known for his work in comparative physiology
Comparative physiology
Comparative physiology is a subdiscipline of physiology that studies and exploits the diversity of functional characteristics of various kinds of organisms. It is closely related to evolutionary physiology and environmental physiology. Many universities offer undergraduate courses that cover...
, and perception psychology from a physiological standpoint. He conducted important research on localization of behavioral functionality in the brain, in particular studies on the functional architecture of the visual cortex
Visual cortex
The visual cortex of the brain is the part of the cerebral cortex responsible for processing visual information. It is located in the occipital lobe, in the back of the brain....
. He performed investigations on the sensitivity of retina
Retina
The vertebrate retina is a light-sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the eye. The optics of the eye create an image of the visual world on the retina, which serves much the same function as the film in a camera. Light striking the retina initiates a cascade of chemical and electrical...
l regeneration, color contrast, hue adaptation and apparent motion
Apparent motion
Apparent motion may refer to:In astronomy:*Apparent retrograde motion, the appearance that objects in the night sky move against the typical direction of motion...
.
He explained how the compound eye functions, and in 1891 published "Die Physiologie der facettierten Augen von Krebsen und Insekten", describing the compound eye physiology of insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s and crustacean
Crustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s. In 1899 Exner co-founded the Phonogrammarchiv in Vienna, which was an archive for recording acoustic
Acoustics
Acoustics is the interdisciplinary science that deals with the study of all mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids including vibration, sound, ultrasound and infrasound. A scientist who works in the field of acoustics is an acoustician while someone working in the field of acoustics...
phenomena for scientific purposes.
Associated eponyms
- Call-Exner bodiesCall-Exner bodiesCall–Exner bodies are small eosinophilic fluid-filled spaces between granulosal cells. The granulosa cells are usually arranged haphazardly around the space.They are usually associated with Granulosa cell tumor....
: Small spaces filled with eosinophilic fluid and basement membrane material, usually associated with granulosa cell tumourGranulosa cell tumourGranulosa cell tumours are tumours that arise from granulosa cells. These tumours are part of the sex cord-gonadal stromal tumouror non-epithelial group of tumours. Although granulosa cells normally occur only in the ovary, granulosa cell tumours occur in both ovaries and testicles...
s. Named with Austrian physician Friedrich von Call (1844-1917). - Exner's area: A section of the brain just above Broca's areaBroca's areaBroca's area is a region of the hominid brain with functions linked to speech production.The production of language has been linked to the Broca’s area since Pierre Paul Broca reported impairments in two patients. They had lost the ability to speak after injury to the posterior inferior frontal...
and anterior to the primary motor control area. - Exner's nerve: Nerve from the pharyngeal plexusPharyngeal plexusPharyngeal plexus can refer to:* Pharyngeal plexus of vagus nerve* Pharyngeal plexus...
to the cricothyroid membrane. - Exner's plexus: A plexus of superficial tangential fibers in the molecular layer of the cerebral cortexCerebral cortexThe cerebral cortex is a sheet of neural tissue that is outermost to the cerebrum of the mammalian brain. It plays a key role in memory, attention, perceptual awareness, thought, language, and consciousness. It is constituted of up to six horizontal layers, each of which has a different...
.
Written works
- Leitfaden bei der mikroskopischen Untersuchung thierischer Gewebe (A Guide to the Microscopic Examination of Animal Tissue), (1878)
- Untersuchungen über die Localisation der Functionen in der Grosshirnrinde des Menschen (Studies on the Localization of Functions in the Cerebral Cortex); with Conrad EckhardConrad EckhardConrad Eckhard was a German physiologist born in Kassel.He studied medicine in Berlin and Marburg, and from 1848 served as a prosector under Franz Ludwig Fick and as an assistant to Carl Ludwig in Marburg. In 1850 he moved to Giessen, where he worked as a prosector and assistant to Theodor...
(1881) - Die Physiologie des Fliegens und Schwebens in den bildenden Künsten (The physiology of Flying and Hovering in the Visual Arts) Lecture held at the Austrian Museum for Art and Industry, on 5 January 1882
- Die Physiologie der facettirten Augen von Krebsen und Insecten (The Physiology of the Compound Eye of Crabs and Insects); with Conrad Eckhard (1891)
- Entwurf zu einer physiologischen Erklärung der psychischen Erscheinungen von Dr. Sigmund Exner (Draft for a Physiological Explanation of Mental Phenomena by Dr. Sigmund Exner); with Conrad Eckhard (1891)
- Über das Schweben der Raubvögel (On the Hovering in Birds of Prey) In: Archiv für die gesamte Physiologie des Menschen und der Thiere 114: 109-142 (Reprint 2004, ISBN 3-936755-75-2)
External links
- Short biography, bibliography, and links on digitized sources in the Virtual LaboratoryVirtual LaboratoryThe online project Virtual Laboratory. Essays and Resources on the Experimentalization of Life, 1830-1930, located at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, is dedicated to research in the history of the experimentalization of life...
of the Max Planck Institute for the History of ScienceMax Planck Institute for the History of ScienceThe Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin was established in March 1994. Its research is primarily devoted to a theoretically oriented history of science, principally of the natural sciences, but with methodological perspectives drawn from the cognitive sciences and from... - Short presentation and introduction to his Entwurf zu einer physiologischen Erklärung der psychischen Erscheinungen von Dr. Sigmund Exner