Thomas Hunt Morgan

Thomas Hunt Morgan (September 25, 1866 – December 4, 1945) was an American evolutionary biologist, geneticist, embryologist, and science author who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1933 for discoveries elucidating the role that the chromosome plays in heredity.

Early life and education[edit | edit source]

Morgan was born in Lexington, Kentucky, to Charlton Hunt Morgan and Ellen Key Howard Morgan. He earned his B.S. degree in 1886 from the University of Kentucky and his Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University in zoology in 1890.

Career[edit | edit source]

Morgan taught at Johns Hopkins from 1891 to 1904, when he joined the faculty of Columbia University. There, he began his groundbreaking work on Drosophila melanogaster, or fruit flies. His research on these flies demonstrated that genes are carried on chromosomes and are the mechanical basis of heredity. These findings, which formed the basis of the modern science of genetics, were published in his book The Mechanism of Mendelian Heredity in 1915.

In 1928, Morgan transferred to the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) to organize work in biology, and remained there until his retirement in 1942.

Legacy[edit | edit source]

Morgan's work played a key role in establishing the field of genetics. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1933 for his discoveries concerning the role played by the chromosome in heredity. He was also awarded the Copley Medal in 1939 by the Royal Society for his contributions to genetics.

References[edit | edit source]

External links[edit | edit source]

Thomas Hunt Morgan Resources
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