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<p>This article, third of the series tracing the roots of molecular biology, discusses how the chromosomal theory of Mendelian inheritance triggered embryologists to turn to genetics and how the embryologist Thomas Hunt Morgan, who did not initially believe in Mendel’s factors or the chromosomal theory of inheritance or Darwin’s theory of evolution through natural selection relying on small variations, became ‘Father of Modern Genetics’ and championed all the three theories following his and his students work with <i>Drosophila</i> model in the ‘<i>fly room</i>’ at Columbia University and later at Caltech (USA). Studies by Morgan, his students and associates discovered and formulated the basic principles of modern genetics and provided a conceptual framework about the gene and how genotype determines the phenotype, besides advancing understanding of gene mutations and their induction. These pioneer fly geneticists moved out to different parts of the world, used the fly or other new model organisms and novel approaches to catalyze the birth of multiple novel disciplines like mutagenesis, gene-protein relationship, biochemical genetics, the structure of ‘gene’, developmental genetics, population genetics, behavioural genetics, experimental evolutionary biology, molecular biology etc., all of which together provided a better understanding of evolution and biological organization. Indeed, the academic parentage of almost all contemporary fly researchers and many of the early ‘molecular biologists’ can be traced to Morgan and his <i>fly room</i>.</p>

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Tracing the Roots of Molecular Biology

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年3月1日

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  • Subhash C. Lakhotia

摘要

This article, third of the series tracing the roots of molecular biology, discusses how the chromosomal theory of Mendelian inheritance triggered embryologists to turn to genetics and how the embryologist Thomas Hunt Morgan, who did not initially believe in Mendel’s factors or the chromosomal theory of inheritance or Darwin’s theory of evolution through natural selection relying on small variations, became ‘Father of Modern Genetics’ and championed all the three theories following his and his students work with Drosophila model in the ‘fly room’ at Columbia University and later at Caltech (USA). Studies by Morgan, his students and associates discovered and formulated the basic principles of modern genetics and provided a conceptual framework about the gene and how genotype determines the phenotype, besides advancing understanding of gene mutations and their induction. These pioneer fly geneticists moved out to different parts of the world, used the fly or other new model organisms and novel approaches to catalyze the birth of multiple novel disciplines like mutagenesis, gene-protein relationship, biochemical genetics, the structure of ‘gene’, developmental genetics, population genetics, behavioural genetics, experimental evolutionary biology, molecular biology etc., all of which together provided a better understanding of evolution and biological organization. Indeed, the academic parentage of almost all contemporary fly researchers and many of the early ‘molecular biologists’ can be traced to Morgan and his fly room.