Nageli, << NA guh lee, >> Karl Wilhelm (1817-1891), a Swiss botanist and philosopher, studied the growth of roots, stems, and pollen grains. He discovered that nitrogen was an important component of the cell’s cytoplasm and nucleus. He also described cell division in the formation of pollen and in simple algae. His philosophical views led him to scorn the Austrian scientist Gregor Mendel’s proof of heredity (see Mendel, Gregor J. ).
Nageli was born on March 27, 1817, in Kilchberg, Switzerland. He was professor of botany at the universities of Freiburg, Zurich, and Munich. He died on May 10, 1891.
