Barbara Mcclintock

Throughout history many scientists have contributed to the study of biology. Barbara McClintock was born in Hartford, CT in 1902. She contributed to the understanding of genes in DNA. Her research was conducted well before many test were done, causing her to be one of the first who understood the concept of genetics. McClintock conducted many experiments and contributed to a vast amount of research which helped discover new processes in the future.
McClintock main work specialized in the genetics of maize and she conducted numerous experiments relating to that field. One key experiment involved her observing the hereditary characteristics of corn, specifically the color of corn kernels. Many characteristics were determined by hereditary due to their genes. Their genes are stored in chromosomes inside their cells’ nuclei according to McCintock. During this experiment she studied how the characteristics are passed down through generations. She then linked these to changes in plants chromosomes.

She proved this in the 1940’s through a trial of experiments. In the near future funding from the National Science Foundation and Rockefeller foundation were received to fund the research of different races of maize in South and Central America conducted by McClintock and colleagues. She spent almost two decades gathering data on differences in South American maize. This information was then compiled and thus the publication; “The Chromosomal Constitution of Races of Maize” was created ten years