Barbara McClintock

Barbara McClintock (pronounced: bɑːrˈbærə məˈklɪntɒk) was an American scientist and cytogeneticist who was awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. She was born on June 16, 1902, and died on September 2, 1992.

Etymology

The name Barbara is of Greek origin, meaning "foreign woman". McClintock is a surname of Scottish origin.

Life and Career

Barbara McClintock was born in Hartford, Connecticut. She received her Ph.D. in botany from Cornell University in 1927. McClintock is best known for her work on transposons or "jumping genes", a discovery that has had a profound impact on research in genetics and cell biology.

Contributions to Science

McClintock's research on maize led to her discovery of transposons. She demonstrated that these genetic elements could move within and between chromosomes, disrupting the genes they jumped into. This work challenged the prevailing view of the genome as a static set of instructions passed between generations.

Legacy

McClintock's work was initially met with skepticism but has since been recognized as a fundamental contribution to biology. Her research has influenced a wide range of fields, from genetics and cell biology to evolutionary biology and cancer research.

Related Terms

• Cytogenetics
• Transposon
• Genetics
• Cell Biology
• Cornell University
• Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
• Evolutionary Biology
• Cancer Research

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Barbara McClintock
• Wikipedia's article - Barbara McClintock

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