Kölliker, Albert von

Kölliker, Albert von

(äl`bĕrt fən kö`lĭkər), 1817–1905, Swiss physiologist and histologist. He was professor of physiology and of microscopic and comparative anatomy at Würzburg from 1847. His researches and texts on histology and embryology and his recognition of Schwann's cell theory were pioneer contributions toward understanding the function of spermatozoa and of spontaneous variation in evolution. He also wrote numerous memoirs on his findings and an autobiography (1899).