Question: Who first successfully crystallized viruses?
Options:
J.T. Needham
Wignograsky
W. M. Stanley
Bateson
W. M. Stanley was the first scientist to successfully crystallize a virus, specifically the tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), in 1935. His work was groundbreaking because it demonstrated that viruses, previously thought to be uncrystallizable, could form crystals like other biological molecules, proving that viruses are complex structures and not simply fluids. Stanley's achievement led to further advancements in virology and earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1946.
• Breakdown of Incorrect Options:
📌Other Options Explanations:
-(a) J.T. Needham: Needham was an early biochemist who contributed to the study of cell biology and enzymes.
-(b) Wignograsky: Wignograsky was known for his work in microbiology and the study of nitrogen fixation.
-(d) Bateson: Bateson was a British biologist who made contributions to genetics.
🔑Key Points:
-A virus is a microscopic organism that invades living cells in order to reproduce.
-The study of the virus is virology.
-Martinus Beijerinck is often called the Father of Virology.
-Tobacco mosaic virus is usually spread from plant to plant via 'mechanical' wounds caused by contaminated hands, clothing or tools such as pruning shears and hoes.
-Wendell Stanley studied the tobacco mosaic virus, which attacks the leaves of tobacco plants.
-From considerable quantities of infected tobacco leaves, he succeeded in extracting the virus in the form of pure crystals in 1935.
-W.M. Stanley was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1946.