Khachatur Koshtoyants
Exploring how living organisms function and evolve
Khachatur Koshtoyants was an Armenian physiologist who made major contributions to comparative and evolutionary physiology. Born in Alexandropol, now Gyumri, in 1900, he developed much of his scientific career at Moscow State University.
He studied the functions of animal organisms and the mechanisms that regulate them. His interests included the relationship between the nervous system and chemical signalling, and how these processes differ between animal groups. Comparison allowed him to examine bodily functions within the wider framework of evolutionary development.
Koshtoyants wrote research works and textbooks, directed investigations and trained new specialists. He was among the founding members of Armenia’s Academy of Sciences. He died in 1961. His legacy connects experimental biology, scientific education and the search for general patterns in the living world.