Barbara McClintock was an American scientist who discovered transposable elements, informally called jumping genes, in maize during the 1940s and 1950s. Working with colored kernel patterns she could track visually across generations, she showed that segments of the genome can move from one chromosomal location to another and switch nearby genes on or off, a finding that ran against the assumption that genes sit in fixed positions. The idea was met with skepticism for decades until molecular techniques confirmed it in other organisms, and she was awarded the unshared 1983 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery.
Facts
Birth DateSourced to the subject's own account Death DateSourced to the subject's own account Death YearSourced to the subject's own account Death PlaceSourced to the subject's own accountHuntington, New York, United States 2 NationalitySourced to the subject's own account Notable WorkSourced to the subject's own accountDiscovery of transposable genetic elements (jumping genes) in maize 2 BirthplaceSourced to the subject's own accountHartford, Connecticut, United States 2 Field
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Source Barbara McClintock, Facts (Nobel Prize)
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1. Barbara McClintock, Facts (Nobel Prize)
2. Barbara McClintock (Wikipedia)
WikipediaInfobox: Born
June 16, 1902 Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Infobox: Died
September 2, 1992 (aged 90) Huntington, New York, United States
Lead section
was an American scientist and cytogeneticist who was awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Infobox: Known for
Work in genetic structure of maize
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