N. M. (Nettie Maria) Stevens
Nettie Maria Stevens was an American geneticist who discovered sex chromosomes. In 1905, soon after the rediscovery of Mendel's paper on genetics in 1900, she observed that male mealworms produced two kinds of sperm, one with a large chromosome and one with a small chromosome. When the sperm with the large chromosome fertilized eggs, they produced female offspring, and when the sperm with the small chromosome fertilized eggs, they produced male offspring. The pair of sex chromosomes that she studied later became known as the X and Y chromosomes.
Studies in Spermatogenesis (Part 2 of 2)
Across insect species, a groundbreaking study uncovers how the hidden structures within sperm orchestrate the determination of sex, changing the course of genetic understanding forever.
By N. M. (Nettie Maria) Stevens
Studies in Spermatogenesis (Part 1 of 2)
Discover the secrets of insect reproduction as a scientist races to understand how chromosomes dictate whether an insect is male or female.
By N. M. (Nettie Maria) Stevens