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Genetics is the science of heredity. In the Western world modern genetics has a history of nearly a hundred years, beginning with the discovery of laws of heredity established by Mendel in 1866. Then, early in the 1930s, a Soviet genetics emerged. The foremost proponent of this new science is the Soviet Academician and agriculturist Lysenko. Let me sum up briefly the differences between Western and Soviet genetics. Modern genetics has established that hereditary material is located in the chromosomes of the nucleus of reproductive cells (sperms and eggs). This material is organised into functionally separate units called “genes.” Hence, it is known as the gene theory or the chromosome theory of heredity. On the other hand, Lysenko and his followers believe that every particle of an organism plays a part in heredity; the particles assimilate the influence of environment and pass it on to the next generation. Thus, if an organism can be forced or trained to assimilate certain environmental elements, there will be hereditary changes in their offspring. Lysenko borrows the prestige of Michurin, a skilful and successful Soviet horticulturist by calling this doctrine Michurinism, while we refer to it as Lysenkoism.
- Type
- Science in Communist China
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- Copyright © The China Quarterly 1961
References
1 For a full and lucid discussion of the essential issues involved in deciding the legitimacy of Soviet genetics I cannot do better than refer readers to Huxley, Julian's Soviet Genetics ana World Science (London: Chatto and Windus, 1949).Google Scholar
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