MORPHOLOGY (from Gk. 211Orphe, form +-Xayla,-login, account, from Xi-yap, legein, to say). In zo;dogy, the science of form and structure of animals. It is based on comparative anatomy and embryology, and lays the foundation for physiology. We cannot well understand the structure or anatomy of the fully grown animal unless we have the history of the development of the organism as a whole, and of the separate organs. The morphologist, whose methods of study are based on observation and comparison, must not only be a comparative anatomist, but also an embryologist. He should not only be acquainted with the individual development (ontogeny, q.v.), but also that of the class or phylum to which the organism belongs (phylog eny, q.v.). Moreover, as the existing living be ings are the descendants of long lines of ancestry, the morphologist should have at his command all the available facts as to the fossil relatives of existing forms. Though we owe the word 'mor phology' to Goethe, it was first brought into its present extended use by the zoidogists J. Miiller and Lem-kart. But long before the middle of the last century the general Mor phology of organisms was in part discussed by Oken, Carus, Goethe, Geoffroy Saint Hilaire, Lamarck, envier, Savigny. Owen, and Agassiz. For example, Goethe compared the flowering plant to an axis bearing modified or meta morphosed parts or leaves; Savigny discov ered that the mouth-parts or appendages of the heads of insects were modified legs; and Carus, Audonin, and Strauss-Durekheim perceived that their head was composed of a number of seg ments. Goethe, and also Oken, discovered the
segmental nature of the vertebrate skull, a prob lem still earnestly discussed by morphologists. That portion of the history of zohlogy called the Period of Morphology was signalized by the hrilliant results in developmental work of Von Baer, Pander, J. 111911er, Batlike, followed by of Selman)), Sehleiden. Koel liker, 'Huxley, Vogt, Gegenbaur, Haeekel. and their followers. As the result we see numerous morphological problems either solved or in a fair way of solution. See SYMMETRY.
BIBLIOGRAPHY. Spencer, Principles of Biology Bibliography. Spencer, Principles of Biology (New York, 1898-1900) ; Lcuckart, Uebcr die Morphologic mind die nissc der ivirbellosca Thierc 18-18) ; Gegenbaur, Elements of Comparative .Inutomy (Eng. trans. London, 1878) ; Ilaeckel, Ocuercllo Morphologic (Leipzig, 1866) ; Carus, ticschich lc der Zoologie (Munich, 1872) ; His, Unser(' Korperform ( 1875) ; also the works of oken, envier, ()wen, Agassiz, 'Huxley, 0. and R. llertwig. and others.