Archetypes of Sex

Algae have played a crucial role in shaping our planet's atmosphere, as they transform CO 2 into the oxygen we breathe. They contribute to building a sustainable future by aiding in the fight against climate change, providing new energy sources and essential resources for nutrition. NATHANAEL PRINGSHEIM (1823-1894), a pioneer of modern botany and a contemporary of Charles Darwin, revolutionized the understanding of biology. In his research on algae, Pringsheim revealed that sexuality was a fundamental principle even in organisms previously classified as "lower" life forms. This book offers readers: exciting insights into the development of modern biology illustrated through Pringsheim's fascinating life and scientific achievements, the first-ever account of the Pringsheim family, persecuted in the Third Reich, and their contributions to the natural sciences, an enthralling narrative of the challenging journey to establish the first German marine biology research station on the island of Helgoland, an appealing showcase of large-scale artistic interpretations of microscopic worlds, created by Pringsheim, also a master of scientific illustration and last but not least, new perspectives on algae research, which is more relevant today than ever before.