1798-1801 studied medicine at the University of Halle and 1801-02 at the University of Göttingen (under Blumenbach); 1803-06 comparative anatomical studies at the University of Paris(under Cuvier); since 1806 professor of anatomy at the University of Halle; 1815-23 editor Deutsches Archiv für Physiologie, 1826-31 followed by the Archiv für Anatomie und Physiologie.