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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /> <title>Erich von Tschermak :: DNA from the Beginning</title> <meta name="description" content="Biography of Erich von Tschermak from Concept 6: Genes are real things, DNA from the Beginning" /> <link rel="preload" as="style" src="/css/main.css"> <link rel="preload" as="script" src="/js/swfobject.js"> <link rel="preload" as="script" src="/js/prototype-1.6.1.js"> <link href="/css/main.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <link href='https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Droid+Serif' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'/> <link href='https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Droid+Sans' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'/> <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/swfobject.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/prototype-1.6.1.js"></script> </head> <body> <div id="container"> <div id="content"> <div id="header"> <div class="rollover-home"> <a href="/" class="rollover-home" title="DNA from the Beginning Home"><span class="displace">Home</span></a> </div> </div>  <div id="content-container"> <h1><span> Concept 6</span> Genes are real things.</h1> <div id="nav"> <ul> <li class="menu1"><a href="index.html" title="CONCEPT" ><span class="displace">CONCEPT</span></a></li> <li class="menu2"><a href="animation.html" title="ANIMATION"><span class="displace">ANIMATION</span></a></li> <li class="menu3"><a href="gallery.html" title="GALLERY"><span class="displace">GALLERY</span></a></li> <li class="menu4"><a href="av.html" title="VIDEO"><span class="displace">VIDEO</span></a></li> <li class="menu5"><a href="bio.html" title="BIO"><span class="displace">BIO</span></a></li> <li class="menu6"><a href="problem.html" title="PROBLEM"><span class="displace">PROBLEM</span></a></li> <li class="menu7"><a href="links.html" title="LINKS" ><span class="displace">LINKS</span></a></li> </ul> <br class="clearfloat" /> </div> <div id="bio" > <p> <a href="/6/bio.html"><img src="/images/6/bio_de_vries_thumb.jpg" alt="Hugo de Vries" class="floatLeft"/></a> <a href="/6/bio-2.html"><img src="/images/6/bio_correns_thumb.jpg" alt="Carl Correns" class="floatLeft" /></a> <a href="/6/bio-3.html"><img src="/images/6/bio_tschermak_seysenegg_thumb.jpg" alt="Erich von Tschermak-Seysenegg" class="floatLeft" /></a> <a href="/6/bio-4.html"><img src="/images/6/bio_hooke_thumb.jpg" alt="Robert Hooke" class="floatLeft" /></a> <a href="/6/bio-5.html"><img src="/images/6/bio_schwann_thumb.jpg" alt="Theodor Schwann" class="floatLeft" /></a> <a href="/6/bio.html">Hugo de Vries</a>, <a href="/6/bio-2.html">Carl Correns</a> and <a href="/6/bio-3.html">Erich von Tschermak-Seysenegg</a> were the three scientists who rediscovered Mendel's laws in 1900. They were all working independently on different plant hybrids, and came to the same conclusions about inheritance as Mendel. <a href="/6/bio-4.html">Robert Hooke</a> was one of the first scientists to describe a cell. <a href="/6/bio-5.html">Theodor Schwann</a> redefined the cell as a living unit.<br class="clearfloat" /></p> <div id="people-list"> <ul> <li><span class="small">Go to:</span></li> <li><a href="/6/bio.html">Hugo de Vries (1848-1935)</a></li> <li><a href="/6/bio-2.html">Carl Erich Correns (1864-1933)</a></li> <li><a href="/6/bio-4.html">Robert Hooke (1635-1703)</a></li> <li><a href="/6/bio-5.html">Theodor Schwann (1810-1882)</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="bio-current4"> <h2>Erich von Tschermak (1871-1962) </h2> </div> <br class="clearfloat" /> <div id="border"></div> <img src="/images/6/6cbio.gif" alt="Erich von Tschermak" class="floatRight" /> <p>Erich von Tschermak-Seysenegg was born in <a href = "http://www.vienna.at/English/subviewer.asp?cat=English">Vienna</a>, Austria. His father was a well-known mineralogist, and his maternal grandfather was the famous botanist, Eduard Fenzl, who taught Gregor Mendel at one point. He studied agriculture at the University of Vienna, and worked on a farm to gain practical agricultural experience. Tschermak graduated with a doctorate from the <a href = "http://www.uni-halle.de/">Halle-Wittenberg University</a>. </p> <p>In 1898, he started doing plant breeding experiments using peas, and by 1900, he had written up his results. Tschermak, like de Vries and Correns, independently derived "Mendelian" laws of inheritance from his plant experiments. Because he was younger, and not as established in the scientific community, Tschermak was worried about the acceptance of his paper given those of de Vries' and Correns'. However, he was able to rush his paper to press, and was accorded his share of attention as one of the rediscoverers of Mendel's laws. </p> <p>Tschermak was a plant breeder, and his hybridization experiments were done with the idea of improving crops using the laws of heredity. He did most of the work himself, and produced high-yielding food crops such as wheat, barley, and oats. In 1903, Tschermak was appointed associate professor at the <a href = "http://www.boku.ac.at/indexe.html">University of Agricultural Sciences</a> in Vienna, and later became a full professor. He was a major influence in agriculture and plant breeding in Austria.</p> <div id="factoid-bio"> <img src="/images/general/factoid.gif" alt="factoid" class="factoid-image" /> <img src="/images/general/didyouknow.jpg" alt="Did you know ?" /> <p>Theodor Schwann recognized that eggs, ova, are cells. In 1841, sperm were classified as cells when they were seen developing from testis cells.</p> <img src="/images/general/hmmm.jpg" alt="Hmmm..." /> <p>What is the largest single cell in existence?</p> </div>  </p> </div> </div> <br class="clearfloat" /> <div id="footer"> <ul> <li><a href="/">Home</a></li> <li><a href="/sitemap.html">Site Map</a></li> <li><a href="/scientists.html">Scientists</a></li> <li><a href="/glossary.html">Glossary</a></li> <li><a href="/feedback.html">Feedback</a></li> <li><a href="/awards.html">Awards</a></li> <li><a href="/credits.html">Credits</a></li> <li><a href="http://blogs.dnalc.org/dnaftb/" style="background-image:none;">Blog</a></li> </ul> <p> Funded by <a href="http://macyfoundation.org">The Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation</a><br /> © 2002 - 2011, <a href="http://www.dnalc.org/"> DNA Learning Center</a>, <a href="https://www.cshl.edu/">Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</a>. All rights reserved. </p> </div>  </div> <div id="sidebar"> <div id="search" > <form method="get" action="/search"> <div class="fieldHolder1"> <input type="search" id="q" name="q" placeholder="Search" onclick="this.value=''" value="" /> <img style="background-color:#9C0;" src="/images/general/search_icon.jpg" alt="Search" onclick="document.forms[0].submit()" /> </div> </form> </div>  <div id="sidebar"> <ul class="sections-side sections-side1a" style="padding-top: 56px; margin-top: 3px;"> <li ><a href="/1/"><img src="/images/thumbnails/1-thumb-sm.png" alt="1." />Children resemble their parents.</a></li> <li ><a href="/2/"><img src="/images/thumbnails/2-thumb-sm.png" alt="2." />Genes come in pairs.</a></li> <li ><a href="/3/"><img src="/images/thumbnails/3-thumb-sm.png" alt="3." />Genes don't blend.</a></li> <li ><a href="/4/"><img src="/images/thumbnails/4-thumb-sm.png" alt="4." />Some genes are dominant.</a></li> <li ><a href="/5/"><img src="/images/thumbnails/5-thumb-sm.png" alt="5." />Genetic inheritance follows rules.</a></li> <li ><a class="concept-highlight" href="/6/"><img src="/images/thumbnails/6-thumb-sm.png" alt="6." />Genes are real things.</a></li> <li ><a href="/7/"><img src="/images/thumbnails/7-thumb-sm.png" alt="7." />All cells arise from pre-existing cells.</a></li> <li ><a href="/8/"><img src="/images/thumbnails/8-thumb-sm.png" alt="8." />Sex cells have one set of chromosomes; body cells have two.</a></li> <li ><a href="/9/"><img src="/images/thumbnails/9-thumb-sm.png" alt="9." />Specialized chromosomes determine sex.</a></li> <li ><a href="/10/"><img src="/images/thumbnails/10-thumb-sm.png" alt="10." />Chromosomes carry genes.</a></li> <li ><a href="/11/"><img src="/images/thumbnails/11-thumb-sm.png" alt="11." />Genes get shuffled when chromosomes exchange pieces.</a></li> <li ><a href="/12/"><img src="/images/thumbnails/12-thumb-sm.png" alt="12." />Evolution begins with the inheritance of gene variations.</a></li> <li ><a href="/13/"><img src="/images/thumbnails/13-thumb-sm.png" alt="13." />Mendelian laws apply to human beings.</a></li> <li style="border-bottom: 1px solid #669;"><a href="/14/"><img src="/images/thumbnails/14-thumb-sm.png" alt="14." />Mendelian genetics cannot fully explain human health and behavior.</a></li> </ul> <ul class="menu-side"> <li class="section2"><a href="/15/index.html" title="Molecules of Genetics"><span class="displace">MOLECULES OF GENETICS</span></a></li> <li class="section3" ><a href="/29/index.html" title="Genetic Organization and Control"><span class="displace">GENETIC ORGANIZATION AND CONTROL</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div>  <br class="clearfloat" /> </div>  <script type="text/javascript"> Event.observe(window, 'load', function() { var uri = '/6/bio-3.html'; uri = uri.replace(/-\d/,''); $('nav').down().descendants().each(function(s) { if (s.nodeName == 'A') { if (s.href.match(uri)) { s.addClassName('current'); throw $break; } } }); }); </script> <script type="text/javascript"> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-1818773-10']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = 'https://www.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); </script>  <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-K6EHFCRJBP"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-K6EHFCRJBP'); </script> </body> </html>