Nettie Stevens: Pioneer in Genetics
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Questions and Answers

What critical breakthrough did Nettie Stevens identify in her research?

  • How environmental factors affect chromosome behavior
  • The role of sex chromosomes in determining sex (correct)
  • The relationship between nutrition and genetic expression
  • The influence of temperature on sex determination

In what year did Nettie Stevens earn her PhD?

  • 1896
  • 1903 (correct)
  • 1912
  • 1900

What methodology did Nettie Stevens use to study sex determination?

  • Field studies on reproductive behavior
  • Microscopic studies of reproductive cells (correct)
  • Quantitative assays of nutrient absorption
  • Genetic sequencing of DNA

Who was Nettie Stevens's mentor during her PhD studies?

<p>Thomas Hunt Morgan (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the predominant belief about sex determination prior to Stevens's research?

<p>External factors influence sex determination during embryonic development. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How did Nettie Stevens contribute to the theory of chromosomal inheritance?

<p>Through empirical studies on various insect species (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following findings is credited to Nettie Stevens?

<p>Demonstration of sex chromosomes in mealworms (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was Thomas Hunt Morgan's perspective on Nettie Stevens's contributions?

<p>He deemed them groundbreaking and memorable. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Nettie Stevens's field of study

Nettie Stevens was a biologist who focused on sex determination and chromosomes.

Sex determination in early 20th century

Scientists debated whether external factors or chromosomes determined sex.

Stevens's mealworm research

Her research studied the behavior of chromosomes in mealworms, leading to a groundbreaking discovery.

X and Y chromosomes role

Stevens discovered that male reproductive cells have X and Y chromosomes, while females have only X chromosomes.

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Thomas Hunt Morgan's statement

Morgan recognized the importance of Stevens's work, highlighting it as worthy of lasting memory.

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Stevens's PhD institution

Stevens earned her PhD from Bryn Mawr University.

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Stevens's initial career

Prior to university, she had a teaching career.

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Stevens's University enrollment

Stevens enrolled at Stanford University in 1896 to study biology.

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Study Notes

Nettie Stevens: Early Geneticist

  • Nettie Stevens (US biologist) pioneered research on sex determination
  • Found that animal sex is determined by particular chromosomes
  • One of the first female geneticists, but her work was often overlooked
  • Graduated from Stanford University with a masters in biology in 1900
  • Earned a PhD from Bryn Mawr in 1903 under Thomas Hunt Morgan
  • Studied chromosomal behavior in mealworms, funded by Carnegie Institute (1904)
  • Published her sex determination findings in 1905
  • Her work connected a physical characteristic (sex) to a chromosome
  • Discovered that females produce only X chromosomes and males produce X and Y chromosomes.
  • Her detailed microscopic studies of reproductive cells supported the theory of chromosomal inheritance.

Sex Determination Research

  • Early 20th-century scientists debated how sex was determined.
  • Some believed factors like temperature or nutrition were involved
  • Stevens's mealworm research disproved this idea

Recognition and Legacy

  • Stevens's discovery of the link between chromosomes and sex wasn't widely accepted until after her death.
  • Thomas Hunt Morgan (geneticist) acknowledged her work in 1912
  • Her pioneering work is now recognized as vital research on the topic of chromosomal inheritance.

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Description

Explore the groundbreaking work of Nettie Stevens, a trailblazer in the field of genetics and one of the first female geneticists. This quiz covers her pioneering research on sex determination through chromosomes and her significant contributions to understanding chromosomal inheritance during the early 20th century.

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