Article ID: CBB646777916

Irene Manton, Erwin Schrödinger and the Puzzle of Chromosome Structure (2016)

unapi

Erwin Schrödinger’s 1944 publication What is Life? is a classic of twentieth century science writing. In his book, Schrödinger discussed the chromosome fibre as the seat of heredity and variation thanks to a hypothetical aperiodic structure – a suggestion that famously spurred on a generation of scientists in their pursuit of the gene as a physico-chemical entity. While historical attention has been given to physicists who were inspired by the book, little has been written about its biologist readers. This paper examines the case of the English evolutionary botanist and cytologist Irène Manton, who took an interest in What is Life? for its relevance to her own research in chromosome structure as a clue to plant phylogeny. Drawing on recently discovered correspondence between Manton and Schrödinger, the paper reconstructs Manton ‘s path to the book (including the role of the chemist-philosopher Michael Polanyi) and her response to it by way of throwing new light on a pivotal moment in the history of the debate on chromosome structure.

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Authors & Contributors
Volpone, Alessandro
Falk, Raphael
Adolfo Verson
Wolfe, Audra Jayne
Tudge, Colin
Schrödinger, Erwin
Concepts
Genetics
Chromosomes
Evolution
Cytology
Heredity
Biology
Time Periods
20th century
20th century, early
19th century
20th century, late
Places
United States
Germany
Soviet Union
Institutions
Genetics Society of America
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