McClintock’s maize breeding experiments provided the first detailed descriptions of transposable elements. What exactly are these “jumping genes,” and why are they so important? As ...

Quiet brilliance. Like Gregor Mendel before her, Barbara McClintock quietly dedicated most of her scientific life to the study of one plant, and her discoveries revealed important genetic secrets.

for some maize the kernels come in different colors and even with spots or patches. Much of McClintock’s analysis and theorizing involved examining the patterns of colors of the kernel’s skin ...