East, Edward Murray

East, Edward Murray
born Oct. 4, 1879, Du Quoin, Ill., U.S.
died Nov. 9, 1938, Boston, Mass.

U.S. plant geneticist, agronomist, and chemist.

He finished high school at age 15 and received an M.S. in 1904. He was particularly interested in determining and controlling the protein and fat content of corn, both of which significantly influence its value as animal feed. His research, with that of George Harrison Shull, led to the development of modern-day hybrid corn. Commercial production of hybrid seed corn was made possible by the work of his student Donald F. Jones (1890–1963). East's work helped make possible studies in the field of population genetics.

* * *

▪ American scientist
born , Oct. 4, 1879, Du Quoin, Ill., U.S.
died Nov. 9, 1938, Boston, Mass.

      American plant geneticist, botanist, agronomist, and chemist, whose experiments, along with those of others, led to the development of hybrid corn (maize). He was particularly interested in determining and controlling the protein and fat content of corn, both of which have significant influence upon that grain's value as animal feed.

      A precocious youth, East finished high school at age 15 and then worked in a machine shop for two years to earn money for college. Trained as a chemist, he developed an interest in genetics and in 1900 became an assistant to Cyril George Hopkins of the Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of Illinois, Urbana, where he worked on corn-breeding experiments intended to increase fat and protein content. After receiving an M.S. degree in 1904, he worked for four years as an agronomist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, where he continued his experiments with corn.

      East's genetic investigations, with independent work by the geneticist and botanist George Harrison Shull, led to the development of hybrid corn. The commercial production of hybrid seed corn was made possible by the work of Donald F. Jones, a student of East. In their 1919 book, Inbreeding and Outbreeding, East and Jones laid the basis for the concept of heterosis, or hybrid vigour (that hybrids are often more viable, stronger, and more fertile than inbred strains). East joined the faculty of Harvard University at the Bussey Institution facility in Jamaica Plain in 1909, and he helped found the journal Genetics in 1916. Though he continued his work in genetics, his later contributions to the field were generally of a more theoretical nature. He wrote books on science and international affairs and produced a number of articles on eugenics, an issue of which he was a strong supporter.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • East, Edward Murray — (4 oct. 1879, Du Quoin, Ill., EE.UU.–9 nov. 1938, Boston, Mass.). Fitogenetista, agrónomo y químico estadounidense. Terminó la escuela secundaria a la edad de 15 años y obtuvo su M.S. en 1904. Se interesó sobre todo en la determinación y el… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Edward — /ed weuhrd/, n. 1. Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall ( The Black Prince ), 1330 76, English military leader (son of Edward III). 2. Lake, a lake in central Africa, between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo: a source of the Nile.… …   Universalium

  • Murray — /merr ee, mur ee/, n. 1. Sir (George) Gilbert (Aimé) /ay may /, 1866 1957, English classical scholar. 2. Sir James Augustus Henry, 1837 1915, Scottish lexicographer and philologist. 3. Lindley /lin lee, lind /, 1745 1826, English grammarian, born …   Universalium

  • Murray — El río Murray (en inglés: Murray River, o River Murray), es el segundo río más largo de Australia, siendo el prmero si se le considera junto al río Darling. Mide 2.575 kilometros. Nace en los Alpes Australianos, recogiendo el agua de las montañas …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Edward — (as used in expressions) Abbey, Edward Acheson, Edward Goodrich Acton (de Aldenham), John Emerich Edward Dahlberg Acton, 1 barón Albee, Edward (Franklin) Edward Teach Bax, Sir Arnold (Edward Trevor) Bellamy, Edward Bernays, Edward L. Charles… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • east — eastness, n. /eest/, n. 1. a cardinal point of the compass, 90° to the right of north. Abbr: E 2. the direction in which this point lies. 3. (usually cap.) a quarter or territory situated in this direction. 4. the East, a. the parts of Asia… …   Universalium

  • East — (as used in expressions) East River East Saint Louis, disturbio racial de East Sussex East York East, Edward Murray …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Edward Murray East — Infobox Scientist name = PAGENAME box width = image size =150px caption = PAGENAME birth date = 4 October, 1879 birth place = death date = 9 November, 1938 death place = residence = citizenship = nationality = United States ethnicity = field =… …   Wikipedia

  • Murray, Utah —   City   Murray City Hall …   Wikipedia

  • Murray Rothbard — Murray Newton Rothbard Rothbard circa 1994 Full name Murray Newton Rothbard Born March 2, 1926(1926 03 02) Bronx, New York, United States Died …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”