History of Biology – Lecture 6: The molecularisation of biology
14-03-18
Genetics became a much more specific research program, with focus on the nucleus.
Biometrics: measuring bodies
Hermann Joseph Muller (1890-1967) – not important for exam:
American biologist, activist and eugenicist.
Began working with Thomas Hunt Morgan (discoverer of fruit-fly experiments)
began research with x-ray radiation.
Muller got paranoia, because of the increasing tension with Morgan and therefore left
for Texas and then to Germany in 1932 (one year before Hitler came to power).
Nikolai Vavilov (1887-1943) – not important for exam:
Soviet academy of Science
Muller left to Moskow in 1935, by an interesting offer of Vavilov
Joseph Stalin – not important for exam:
Dictator of the Soviet Union. Follows up Lenin, enforces the idea of collectivization of
agriculture, deportations of farmers, widespread repression.
Comrade Lysenko (1898-1976):
Agronomist, horticulturist
From a Russian science tradition that distrusted Mendel.
Claimed that plants could be impregnated with new traits;
e.g. claimed that grain would become winter resistant if bags of grain were bried in
the snow vernalisation.
He thought that you could alter genes by environmental processes.
‘Lamarckist’: these traits would be inherited to the next generation.
Stalin supports Lysenko; Because Lysenko promised to solve the food crisis with his
theory Lysenko rises to the top.
Lysenko becomes head of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union strange
because his theories denied the existence of genes and chromosomes.
There was no improvement: his instructions produced more failing harvests and the
famine only got worse! But no one dared remarking this, even the newspaper
reported that it was a success. objection was not tolerated!
Muller which worked which chromosomes and genes presented his book to Stalin,
but Stalin was not pleased therefore Muller left Russia for Spain in 1937.
- In 1937 the Civil War was going on in Spain.
14-03-18
Genetics became a much more specific research program, with focus on the nucleus.
Biometrics: measuring bodies
Hermann Joseph Muller (1890-1967) – not important for exam:
American biologist, activist and eugenicist.
Began working with Thomas Hunt Morgan (discoverer of fruit-fly experiments)
began research with x-ray radiation.
Muller got paranoia, because of the increasing tension with Morgan and therefore left
for Texas and then to Germany in 1932 (one year before Hitler came to power).
Nikolai Vavilov (1887-1943) – not important for exam:
Soviet academy of Science
Muller left to Moskow in 1935, by an interesting offer of Vavilov
Joseph Stalin – not important for exam:
Dictator of the Soviet Union. Follows up Lenin, enforces the idea of collectivization of
agriculture, deportations of farmers, widespread repression.
Comrade Lysenko (1898-1976):
Agronomist, horticulturist
From a Russian science tradition that distrusted Mendel.
Claimed that plants could be impregnated with new traits;
e.g. claimed that grain would become winter resistant if bags of grain were bried in
the snow vernalisation.
He thought that you could alter genes by environmental processes.
‘Lamarckist’: these traits would be inherited to the next generation.
Stalin supports Lysenko; Because Lysenko promised to solve the food crisis with his
theory Lysenko rises to the top.
Lysenko becomes head of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union strange
because his theories denied the existence of genes and chromosomes.
There was no improvement: his instructions produced more failing harvests and the
famine only got worse! But no one dared remarking this, even the newspaper
reported that it was a success. objection was not tolerated!
Muller which worked which chromosomes and genes presented his book to Stalin,
but Stalin was not pleased therefore Muller left Russia for Spain in 1937.
- In 1937 the Civil War was going on in Spain.
