Barbara McClintock

Barbara McClintock was an American scientist and cytogeneticist who was awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

McClintock received her PhD in botany from Cornell University in 1927. There she started her career as the leader in the development of corn cytogenetics, the focus of her research for the rest of her life. From the late 1920s, McClintock studied chromosomes and how they change during reproduction in maize. She developed the technique for visualizing maize chromosomes and used microscopic analysis to demonstrate many fundamental genetic ideas. She produced the first genetic map for maize, linking regions of the chromosome to physical traits. She was recognized as among the best in the field, awarded prestigious fellowships, and elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 1944. During the 1940s and 1950s, McClintock discovered transposition and used it to demonstrate that genes are responsible for turning physical characteristics on and off. 

She developed theories to explain the suppression and expression of genetic information from one generation of maize plants to the next. McClintock's research became well understood in the 1960s and 1970s, as other scientists confirmed the mechanisms of genetic change and genetic regulation that she had demonstrated in her corn research in the 1940s and 1950s. Awards and recognition for her contributions to the field followed.

TRY THIS!

Have you ever been amazed by simple science experiments? They are the basis of the scientific process. Ask an adult to help you with one of the many experiments on the Internet. There are dozens and dozens of free examples. Many can be done with simple household materials. Here’s one of our favorite resources for simple, easy-to-perform fun.  Let us know if you find a favorite one.

INDIVIDUAL PRINTS

Original Barbara McClintock print, signed and numbered by the artist with white boarder and certificate of authenticity.

GROUP OF SIX PRINTS

shown in gallery bar above