Theophilus Painter

Theophilus Painter

Theophilus Shickel Painter (August 22, 1889 – October 5, 1969) was an American zoologist known for his work in identifying genes in fruit flies (Drosophila). He did so by applying the incredible detail that had just been discovered to be visible in the giant polytene chromosomes in the salivary glands of Drosophila and other Dipteran larvae.

Painter joined the faculty at the University of Texas in 1916 and, except for military duty during World War I, stayed there his whole career. He was, in succession, associate professor, professor and distinguished professor of zoology. He served as acting president (1944-1946) and president (1946-1952) of the University of Texas and retired from active teaching in 1966.

Painter is also known for his early study of human chromosomes. In 1921 he first gave the number 24 for the count of human meiotic chromosomes. He had tried to count the tangled mass of chromosomes he could see under a microscope in spermatocytes in slices of testicle and arrived at the figure of 24. "I feel confident that this is correct," he said. Others later repeated his experiment in other ways and agreed the number was 24. If there were 24 chromosomes in spermatocytes, there must be an equal number contributed by the female and the human chromosome number must be 48. For over 30 years nobody disputed this 'fact.'

Then in 1955 Joe Hin Tjio, using better techniques, looked at the chromosomes in human somatic cells and plainly saw 46 chromosomes. Together with Albert Levan, Tjio published this revolutionary finding in early 1956, and the human chromosome number was finally revised. The wonder of Painter's work is not that it was in error but that, given the almost indecipherable mass of chromosomes he examined, he came so very close to the correct human chromosome number.

External links

*Handbook of Texas|id=PP/fpa10|name=Theophilus Shickel Painter
* [http://www.fortunecity.com/emachines/e11/86/cromsome.html The bizarre case of the chromosome that never was]


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  • Theophilus Painter — Theophilus Shickel Painter (* 22. August 1889; † 5. Oktober 1969) war ein US amerikanischer Insektenzytologe, welcher durch die Identifizierung der Gene der bei Genetikern beliebten Fruchtfliege bekannt wurde. Seine Arbeiten zum menschlichen… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Painter — may refer to:* Occupations: ** Creative artist in the medium of painting ** Painter and decorator * Painter, Virginia, United States * Painter (rope) * Corel Painter, software * The Painter , 1981 album by KC and the Sunshine Band * Sweatt v.… …   Wikipedia

  • Theophilus Shickel Painter — (* 22. August 1889; † 5. Oktober 1969) war ein US amerikanischer Insektenzytologe, welcher durch die Identifizierung der Gene der bei Genetikern beliebten Fruchtfliege bekannt wurde. Seine Arbeiten zum menschlichen Genom und dessen Spermatogenese …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Painter — steht für: die Grafikapplikation Corel Painter den Ort Painter (Virginia) in den Vereinigten Staaten den Familiennamen folgender Personen: Baburao Painter (1890 1954), indischer Filmregisseur Kevin Painter (* 1967), englischer Dartspieler… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Theophilus — Various people have been known by the name Theophilus or Theophilos, which means Friend of God in Greek, and is thus similar to the Latin word Amadeus PeopleArts* Teófilo Braga * Theophilus Cibber (1703–1758), English actor, playwright, author,… …   Wikipedia

  • Theophilus — /thee of euh leuhs/, n. 1. a walled plain in the 4th quadrant of the face of the moon: about 65 mi. (105 km) in diameter. 2. a male given name. * * * (as used in expressions) Painter Theophilus Shickel Theophilus Presbyter Johannes Chrysostomus… …   Universalium

  • painter — painter1 /payn teuhr/, n. 1. an artist who paints pictures. 2. a person who coats walls or other surfaces with paint, esp. as an occupation. 3. (cap.) Astron. the constellation Pictor. [1300 50; PAINT + ER1; r. ME peyntour < AF peintour] painter2 …   Universalium

  • Painter, Theophilus Shickel — born Aug. 22, 1889, Salem, Va., U.S. died Oct. 5, 1969, Fort Stockton, Texas U.S. zoologist and cell biologist. He received his Ph.D. from Yale in 1913. He was the first to show that the unusually large chromosomes in the salivary glands of… …   Universalium

  • Painter, Theophilus Shickel — (22 ago. 1889, Salem, Va., EE.UU.–5 oct. 1969, Fort Stockton, Texas). Zoólogo y biólogo celular estadounidense. Obtuvo un Ph.D. de Yale en 1913. Fue el primero en demostrar que los cromosomas de gran magnitud de las glándulas salivales de la… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Sweatt v. Painter — SCOTUSCase Litigants=Sweatt v. Painter, et al. ArgueDate=April 4 ArgueYear=1950 DecideDate=June 5 DecideYear=1950 FullName=Herman Marion Sweatt v. Theophilus Shickel Painter Citation=70 S. Ct. 848; 94 L. Ed. 1114; 1950 U.S. LEXIS 1809 USVol=339… …   Wikipedia

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