Born: 21-Apr-1843
Birthplace: Sachsenberg, Germany
Died: 4-Aug-1905
Location of death: Kiel, Germany
Cause of death: unspecified

Gender: Male
Race or Ethnicity: White
Occupation: Biologist

Nationality: Germany
Executive summary: Chromosomes and mitosis

Military service: Prussian Army (military doctor, Franco-Prussian War)

German cytologist Walther Flemming developed a new staining technique in 1879, using synthesized aniline dyes to identify chromosomes, the structures of the cell nucleus. This allowed observation of mitosis, a term first used by Flemming for cell division, in far greater detail than ever before. He also coined the term chromatin, from the Greek word for color, after noting that his red dye was thoroughly absorbed by structures in the nucleus. He is usually credited as the father of cytogenetics (analysis of human chromosomes for the detection of inheritable diseases).

Father: Carl Friedrich Flemming (psychiatrist, b. 27-Dec-1799, d. 27-Jan-1880)
Mother: Auguste Winter Flemming (b. 1806, d. 1874)
Sister: Amalie Flemming
Sister: Anna Flemming
Sister: Clara Flemming

    High School: Gymnasium der Residenzstadt, Schwerin, Germany
    Medical School: MD, University of Rostock (1868)
    Teacher: Anatomy, Institute of Physiology, Amsterdam (1871-73)
    Teacher: Anatomy, Charles University, Prague (1873-76)
    Professor: Anatomy, University of Kiel (1876-1905)

    French Ancestry
    German Ancestry

Author of books:
Zell-Substanz, Kern und Zelltheilung (Cytoplasm, Nucleus and Cell Division) (1882)

Do you know something we don't?
Submit a correction or make a comment about this profile

Copyright ©2019 Soylent Communications