BRIEF HISTORY OF GENETICS AND CYTOGENETICS

 

1485 - L. da Vinci -

          Recommended the use of lenses for viewing small objects

1590  - Z. Janssen and H. Janssen -

          Produced the first operational microscope.

1665  - R. Hooke -

          Introduced the term “ cell ” and described cork cells.

1668 -  F. Redi  -

          Disproved the theory of spontaneous generation of maggots.

1672 -  Malphigi-

          Classified the tissues.

1674  - A.van Leeuwenhoek  -

           Improved lens system of microscope by grinding.

1682  - N. Crew -

          Described bladders and pores in wood and pith.

1694 -  J.R. Camerarius - 

          Conducted early experiments on pollination and reported the existence of sex             in plants.

1700 -  R. Linnaeus - 

          Classified the biological organisms.

1761  - J.C. Kolreuter  -

          Hybridized various species of tobacco and concluded that each parent                          contributed equally to the characteristics of the progeny.

1779 -  C.F Wolff -

          Founder of embryology.

1809 - J.B. Lamarck  -

          Coined the word “ biology ” and stressed the importance of cell in living                     organisms. He put forth the theory of inheritance of acquired characters.

1824  - Dutrochet - 

         Showed that all plants and animals are composed of cells.

1825 - F.V. Raspail - 

         Developed the frozen-section technique and used iodine for detection of starch.

1835 -  H. von Mohli -

          Emphasized the importance of protoplasm and described cell division.

1837 - R. Brown - 

         Discovered the nucleus in cells of flowering plants. Year Scientist Contribution

1838 - M.J. Schleiden and T. Schwann - 

Formulated the cell theory in plants and animals.

1840 -  J.E. Purkinj -

          Gave the term “ protoplasm ”.

1845  - A. Donne - 

          Used photomicroscopy for the first time.

1846 -  K. Nageli  -

          Showed that plant cells arise from the division of preexisting cells.

1846  - G.B. Amici - 

          Showed that egg in the ovary is stimulated to develop into an embryo by the               entrance of pollen tube.

1858 - R. Virchow -

         Showed that animal cells arise from the division of preexisting cells.

1859 - C. Darwin -

         Put forth the theory of natural selection.

1862  - Kolliker -

          Used the term “ cytoplasm ”for the living material surrounding the nucleus.

1865 - G. Mendel -

          Developed the fundamental principles of heredity.

1870 - W. His -

          Invented the microtome.

1871 -  F. Meischer  -

         Isolated nucleic acids from pus cells.

1873 -  H. Fol - 

         Described spindle and astral rays.

1875 -  O. Hertwig - 

         Studied reproduction in sea urchins and concluded that fertilization involves            the union of sperm and egg nucleus.

1875 - E. Strasburger - 

        Discovered cell division in plants and gave the terms “cytoplasm ” and “                       nucleoplasm ”.

1879 - W. Flemming -

         Introduced the term “ chromatin ”.

1879 -  H. Fol -

         Showed that only one sperm enters the egg during fertilization.

1881 - E.G. Balbiani -

         Discovered giant chromosomes in salivary glands of Drosophila.

1882 - W. Flemming -

        Coined the term “ mitosis ” .

1883 - W. Rouse -

       Proposed that chromosomes contain genes which are the units of heredity.Year        Scientist Contribution

1885 -  A.F.W. Schimper -

         Introduced the term “ plastids ”.

1888 - Th. Boveri  -

         Coined the term “ centrosomes ”.

1888 - W. Waldeyer - 

         Coined the term “ chromosomes ”.

1892 - O. Hertwig -

         Proposed the protoplasm theory of inheritance.

1892 - J. Ruckert -

        Described lamp brush chromosomes in oocytes of shark.

1892 - W. Weisman -

        Stated that chromosomes are the most important part of the nucleus.

1892 - Th. Boveri -

        Described meiosis in Ascaris.

1898 - C. Golgi -

       Described the golgi apparatus in nerve cells.

1898 - C. Benda-

         Discovered mitochondria in spermatozoa and other cells.

1899 - S. Altman -

        Introduced the term “ nucleic acid ”.

1900 -  C.E. Correns, H. de Vries and E. Tschermak-

Re-discovered Mendel’s laws of inheritance.

1901 -E. Strasburger -

         Introduced the term “ plasmodesmata ”.

1902 - C.E. McClung -

         Identified sex chromosomes in bugs.

1902 - H. de Vries -

        Coined the term “ mutation ”.

1902 W.S. Sutton Th. Boveri -

Proposed the chromosome theory of heredity and identified chromosomes as carriers of genetic material.

1903 - W. Waldeyer -

         Proved centromeres are the chromosomal regions with which the spindle fibre          become associated during mitosis

1905 - L.Cuenot -

         Discovered lethal genes affecting coat colour in mice.

1905 J.B. Farmer and J.E. Moore-

Coined the term “ meiosis ”.

1906 - W. Bateson -

         Coined the term “ Genetics ”and proposed the concept of allele.

1906 W. Bateson and R.C. Punnet - 

Discovered genetic linkage in sweet pea. 

1906 - W.L. Johannsen -

         Coined the terms “gene”, “genotype” and “phenotype”.

1909 - W. Bateson -

         Coined the term “ epitasis ”.

1909 - C. Correns -

        Reported cytoplasmic inheritance in Mirabilis jalapa.

1909 - F.A. Janssens -

        Indicated that chiasmata are produced by exchanges between non-sister                     chromatids of homologous chromosomes.

1910 - T.H. Morgan -

        Studied crossing over and recombination in Drosophila and coined the term “           crossing over ”.

1910 - H. Nilsson-Ehle -

        Proposed the multiple factor hypothesis.

1911  - A.H. Sturtevant -

         Constructed the first linkage map in Drosophila.

1912 -  Vejdovsky -

         Coined the term “ chromonema ”.

1915 - T.H. Morgan -

         Correlated genetic studies with cytological studies. He put forth the theory of             linkage and studied sex linked inheritance in Drosophila melanogaster.

1917 - C.E. Allen- 

         Discovered sex determination in plants.

1921- F.G. Banting C.H. Best

Isolated insulin.

1922 - C.B. Bridges -

         Put forth the genic balance theory of sex determination.

1923 - C.B. Bridges -

         Discovered duplications, deletions and translocations in chromosomes.

1923 - Crew -

          Reported complete reversal of sex in hens.

1924 - A.F. Blakeslee and J. Belling -

Studied trisomics in Jimson weed (Datura stromonium).

1924 - R. Feulgen -

          Described a test to confirm the presence of DNA.

1926 - A.H. Sturtevant-

         Discovered inversions in chromosomes.

1927 - G.K. Karpechenko - 

         Synthesized Raphano brassica.

1927 - H.J. Muller-

          Induced mutations in Drosophila melanogaster by X-rays

1928  - L.J. Stadler - 

         Induced mutations in maize and barley by X-rays. 

1928 -  F. Griffith -

         Conducted experiments on transformations in Diplococcus pneumonia.

1931 - C. Stern -

          Gave cytological proof for crossing over in Drosophila.

1931 - H. Creighton and B. McClintock-

Gave cytological proof for crossing over in maize.

1932 M. Knoll and E. Ruska - 

Developed the electron microscope.

1933 -  M. Rhodes -

          Reported cytoplasmic male sterility in corn.

1935 - F. Zernicke -

          Developed the phase contrast microscope.

1935 - R.B. Goldschmidt -

          Coined the term “ phenocopy ”.

1939 - R.A. Steinberg -

         Induced mutations in Aspergillus sp. with chemicals.

1944 O.T. Avery, C.M. MacLeodand M. McCarty -

Explained the significance of DNA and proved that it is the genetic material.

1946 C. Auerbach and J.M. Robson - 

Induced mutations in Drosophila melanogaster using chemicals.

1946 E.S. McFadden,E.R. Sears andH. Kihara - 

Synthesized Triticum spelta in the laboratory.

1948 - K.R. Porter-

         Described the endoplasmic reticulum.

1950 - B. McClintock - Brown - 

Observed ribosomes in plant cells.

1953 J.D. Watson, F.H.C. Crick and M.H.F. Wilkins - 

Proposed the double helix model for DNA molecule.

1954 - E.R. Sears -

          Produced monosomic series of “Chinese Spring ” variety of wheat.

1955 - S. Benzer -

         Described the fine structure of gene–Cistron, Recon and Muton.

1955 -  C. DeDuve -

         Coined the term “ lysosomes ”.

1955 -  G.E. Palade -

        Observed ribosomes in animal cells.

1955 - L. Pauling -

        Studied the relationship between the structure of the DNA molecule and protein         synthesis.

1958 - G.W. Beadle, E.L. Tatum and J. Lederberg-

Put forth the one gene – one enzyme hypothesis.

1958 - F.H.C. Crick -

         Explained the central dogma of molecular biology.

1958 - M.S. Meselson and F.W. Stahl - 

Proved experimentally that DNA replicates by semiconservative  mechanism.

1959 - A. Kornberg and S. Ochoa - 

Synthesized the DNA molecule in vitro.

1961 A.E. Jacob and J. Monod -

Explained the genetic regulatory mechanism in protein

synthesis – Operon concept.

1968 N.W. Nirenberg , H.G. Khorana and H. Holley - 

Deciphered the genetic code and polynucleotide synthesis.

1968 - Woodcock and Fernandez -

Isolated DNA from chloroplasts.

1974 - Clande, G.E. Palade and C. DeDuve -

Re-discovered a number of cell organelles by electron microscope.

1975 R. Dulbecco, H. Temin and D. Baltimore -

Discovered the mechanism of reverse transcription – Teminism.

1975 - N. Borlaug -

        Responsible for development of dwarf wheat and green revolution.

1978 - D. Nathans , H.O. Smith andW. Arber -

Isolated restriction enzymes.

1985 - Potrykus -

         Used electroporation technique for direct gene transfer in plants.

1986-  Helentzaris  -

        Developed the RFLP map in maize and tomato.

1986 - Ow -

         Transferred and studied the expression of gene for enzyme lucifersase (causes            fire flies to glow) in tobacco cells.

1987 - Fischoff -

         Developed insect resistant transgenic tomato plants with Bt gene.

1987 - K.B. Mullis -

         Developed polymerase chain reaction technique.

1988 - Ouozzo -

         Developed transgenic tobacco with CMV coat protein.

1991 - Oeller -

         Developed transgenic tomato with an antisense gene.

         1992 - Vasil - 

        Developed herbicide resistant transgenic wheat.

1993 - Sharp Roberts-

Proposed the split gene concept.

1993 - Smith -

          Studied site directed mutagenesis.

1994 - Gilman and Rodbell -

          Studied G proteins and their role in turning external signals into action within         cells.

1995 -Lewis, Volard and Wieschaus -

Studied the role of genes in organ differentiation.

1997 I. Wilmut -

         Cloned sheep – Dolly.

1997  - Prusiner-

         Studied prions – Mad cow disease.

1998 - Delta & Pine Co -

          Developed the terminator gene technology.

1998 -Monsanto Co -

         Developed bollguard variety of cotton.

1998 - T. Wakayama and R. Yanagimachi - 

Created the first cloned mice.

2000 -Roslin Institute -

         Created the first cloned pigs.

2001  -

         Advanced Cell Technology Birth of first cloned Asian ox called “Gaur”.

2002 - Natl -

         Institute of Agronomic Research, France. Created the first cloned rabbit.

2002 - Texas A & M Univ. U.S.A. - 

Created the first cloned cat called “Cc”.