- Born:
- Dec. 21, 1890, New York, N.Y., U.S.
- Died:
- April 5, 1967, Indianapolis, Ind. (aged 76)
- Awards And Honors:
- Nobel Prize (1946)
- Notable Works:
- “The Mechanism of Mendelian Heredity”
Hermann Joseph Muller
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Who was Hermann Joseph Muller?
Hermann Joseph Muller (1890–1967) was an American geneticist celebrated for his groundbreaking discovery that X-rays could induce mutations in genes and chromosomes. This finding had far-reaching implications, earning him the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1946.
Muller's interest in genetics began at Columbia University, where he was influenced by E.B. Wilson and T.H. Morgan. His research on Drosophila (fruit flies) led to his Ph.D. in 1916 and established the principle of linear gene linkage. At the University of Texas, his studies on mutation processes led to his discovery of artificial genetic mutations using X-rays in 1926.
Muller later became a vocal advocate for public awareness regarding the risks of radiation and its potential impact on future generations.
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What field of science did Hermann Joseph Muller work in?
Hermann Joseph Muller was an American geneticist, known for his work in the field of genetics. His most notable contribution was the discovery that X-rays could induce mutations and hereditary changes in the genes and chromosomes of living cells. This groundbreaking discovery earned him the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1946 and established his international reputation. Muller's work provided a better understanding of heredity and variation.
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What is Hermann Muller's most famous scientific discovery?
Hermann Joseph Muller is best known for discovering that X-rays could cause mutations and hereditary changes by striking the genes and chromosomes of living cells. This groundbreaking discovery of artificially induced mutations in genes earned him the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1946. Muller's work demonstrated that mutations result from chromosome breakages and changes in individual genes. His research at the University of Texas, Austin, was the most productive of his career, leading to his international recognition as a geneticist.
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How did Hermann Muller show that X-rays can cause mutations?
Hermann Joseph Muller demonstrated that X-rays could induce mutations by exposing the genes and chromosomes of living cells to X-rays in 1926. This groundbreaking discovery, which earned him the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1946, showed that mutations result from chromosome breakages and changes in individual genes. Muller's work at the University of Texas, Austin, allowed him to study mutation processes and frequencies, which led to the experimental induction of genetic mutations using X-rays. His research established his international reputation as a geneticist.
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Why was Muller's discovery about mutations important for genetics and health?
Hermann Joseph Muller's discovery that X-rays could induce mutations in genes and chromosomes of living cells was important for genetics and health because it demonstrated that mutations could be artificially induced. This groundbreaking work led to a better understanding of gene arrangements, recombinations, and the causes of mutations, establishing Muller's international reputation and earning him the Nobel Prize in 1946. His research also highlighted the dangers of radiation and its potential harm to future generations, raising public awareness about the risks associated with industrial processes.
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What awards or recognition did Hermann Muller receive for his contributions to genetics?
Hermann Joseph Muller, an American geneticist, is best known for his discovery that X-rays can cause mutations and hereditary changes in living cells. This groundbreaking work earned him the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1946. In 1931, Muller was also elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. Later in his career, Muller became a vocal advocate for public awareness regarding the dangers of radiation and its potential impact on future generations.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Hermann Joseph Muller (born Dec. 21, 1890, New York, N.Y., U.S.—died April 5, 1967, Indianapolis, Ind.) was an American geneticist best remembered for his demonstration that mutations and hereditary changes can be caused by X rays striking the genes and chromosomes of living cells. His discovery of artificially induced mutations in genes had far-reaching consequences, and he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1946.
Muller attended Columbia University from 1907 to 1909. At Columbia his interest in genetics was fired first by E.B. Wilson, the founder of the cellular approach to heredity, and later by T.H. Morgan, who had just introduced the fruit fly Drosophila as a tool in experimental genetics. The possibility of consciously guiding the evolution of man was the initial motive in Muller’s scientific work and social attitudes. His early experience at Columbia convinced him that the first necessary prerequisite was a better understanding of the processes of heredity and variation.
A laboratory assistantship in zoology in 1912 allowed him to spend part of his time doing research on Drosophila at Columbia. He produced a series of papers, now classic, on the mechanism of crossing-over of genes, obtaining his Ph.D. in 1916. His dissertation established the principle of the linear linkage of genes in heredity. The work of the Drosophila group, headed by Morgan, was summarized in 1915 in the book The Mechanism of Mendelian Heredity. This book is a cornerstone of classical genetics.
After three years at the Rice Institute, Houston, Texas, and an interlude at Columbia as instructor, Muller in 1920 became associate professor (later professor) at the University of Texas, Austin, where he remained until 1932. The 12 years that he spent at Austin were scientifically the most productive in Muller’s life. His studies of the processes and frequencies of mutations enabled Muller to form a picture of the arrangements and recombinations of genes and later led to his experimental induction of genetic mutations through the use of X rays in 1926. This highly original discovery established his international reputation as a geneticist and eventually won him the Nobel Prize. At this time Muller was able to demonstrate that mutations are the result of breakages in chromosomes and of changes in individual genes. In 1931 he was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.
After undergoing a nervous breakdown in 1932 due to personal pressures, Muller spent one year at the Kaiser Wilhelm (now Max Planck) Institute in Berlin, where he investigated various physical models for explaining mutations in genes. In 1933 he moved to Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) and then to Moscow at the invitation of N.I. Vavilov, head of the Institute of Genetics there. Muller was a socialist, and he initially viewed the Soviet Union as a progressive, experimental society that could pursue important research in genetics and eugenics. But by this time the false doctrines of the biologist T.D. Lysenko were becoming politically powerful, bringing to an end valid Soviet scientific research in genetics.
Muller fought Lysenkoism whenever possible, but he ultimately had to leave the Soviet Union in 1937. He spent three years at the Institute of Animal Genetics in Edinburgh, returning to the United States in August 1940. On returning to the United States, Muller obtained temporary positions at Amherst College, Massachusetts (1941–45), and, finally, a professorship in zoology (1945–67) at Indiana University, Bloomington.
The award of the Nobel Prize to Muller in 1946 increased his opportunities to publicize one of his major concerns—the dangers posed by accumulating spontaneous mutations in the human gene pool as a result of industrial processes and radiation. He was foremost in promoting public awareness of the dangers of radiation to future generations. He also became more actively involved in discussions on the relaxed processes of natural selection operating in modern society, and he made a controversial suggestion that the sperm of gifted men be frozen and preserved as part of a purposeful program of eugenics for future generations.
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