TEN BREAKTHROUGHS IN BIOLOGY
Cell division
Who: Robert Remak
When: 1855
By staining a cell’s membrane, remak was able to prove that new cells are formed by the division of existing cells. He also surmised that tumours grow and are spread in the same manner.
Cell biology
Who: Henri dutrochet
When: early 19th century
the french physiologist pioneered the study of cells as the key units of function in life, and suggested that basic processes of life are similar across all organisms.
Homeostasis
Who: Claude Bernard
When: 1854
Bernard stated that “all the vital mechanisms, varied as they are, have only one object: that of preserving constant the conditions of life.” this encapsulates the concept of homeostasis – the maintenance of a constant internal environment, key to most forms of life.
Genetic inheritance
Who: Gregor Mendel
When: 1865
By studying pea plants, mendel discovered that inheritance of many traits, such as height, could be explained through simple rules – resulting in the concept of dominant and recessive genes.
Osmosis
Who: Jean-Antoine Nollet
When: 1748
nollet was the first person to document osmosis – variations in the concentrations of dissolved substances causing movement of the solvent (for example, water) – a key process in biology that explains, for example, how plants take up water from the soil.
Inheritance of acquired traits
Who: Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
When: 1801
lamarck proposed that characteristics acquired by an organism can be passed on to offspring. long considered inaccurate, modern ideas of epigenetics endorse a form of this type of inheritance may occur.
Food chain
Who: Al-Jahiz
When: 9th century
Ad the idea that all organisms are dependent on others, together forming a vast web encompassing all species, was proposed by the Arabic writer Al-Jahiz.
Theory of evolution by natural selection Who: Charles darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace
When: 1858
Darwin and Wallace each independently conceived the theory that species develop through a process of natural selection.
Biogenesis
Who: Louis Pasteur
When: 1861
Pasteur showed that the growth of bacteria from fermentation was a result of biogenesis – and extrapolated that all life originates from an organism similar to itself, rather than non-living material, as was earlier believed.
Chromosomes
Who: Theodor Boveri and Walter Sutton When: 1902
the independent work of these two biologists led to the conclusion that pairs of chromosomes, found in all dividing cells, carry the information by which genetic traits are inherited.
Who: Robert Remak
When: 1855
By staining a cell’s membrane, remak was able to prove that new cells are formed by the division of existing cells. He also surmised that tumours grow and are spread in the same manner.
Cell biology
Who: Henri dutrochet
When: early 19th century
the french physiologist pioneered the study of cells as the key units of function in life, and suggested that basic processes of life are similar across all organisms.
Homeostasis
Who: Claude Bernard
When: 1854
Bernard stated that “all the vital mechanisms, varied as they are, have only one object: that of preserving constant the conditions of life.” this encapsulates the concept of homeostasis – the maintenance of a constant internal environment, key to most forms of life.
Genetic inheritance
Who: Gregor Mendel
When: 1865
By studying pea plants, mendel discovered that inheritance of many traits, such as height, could be explained through simple rules – resulting in the concept of dominant and recessive genes.
Osmosis
Who: Jean-Antoine Nollet
When: 1748
nollet was the first person to document osmosis – variations in the concentrations of dissolved substances causing movement of the solvent (for example, water) – a key process in biology that explains, for example, how plants take up water from the soil.
Inheritance of acquired traits
Who: Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
When: 1801
lamarck proposed that characteristics acquired by an organism can be passed on to offspring. long considered inaccurate, modern ideas of epigenetics endorse a form of this type of inheritance may occur.
Food chain
Who: Al-Jahiz
When: 9th century
Ad the idea that all organisms are dependent on others, together forming a vast web encompassing all species, was proposed by the Arabic writer Al-Jahiz.
Theory of evolution by natural selection Who: Charles darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace
When: 1858
Darwin and Wallace each independently conceived the theory that species develop through a process of natural selection.
Biogenesis
Who: Louis Pasteur
When: 1861
Pasteur showed that the growth of bacteria from fermentation was a result of biogenesis – and extrapolated that all life originates from an organism similar to itself, rather than non-living material, as was earlier believed.
Chromosomes
Who: Theodor Boveri and Walter Sutton When: 1902
the independent work of these two biologists led to the conclusion that pairs of chromosomes, found in all dividing cells, carry the information by which genetic traits are inherited.
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