Who was the scientist that first observed the X body during spermatogenesis in insects?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Henking
The first clue to the chromosomal basis of sex came from insects. Henking (1891) traced a nuclear structure all through spermatogenesis in a few insects and saw that half the sperms received it and half did not. He named it the X body but could not explain its significance. Later workers found that the X body was a chromosome, and it was named the X-chromosome.
NCERT Extract:
Sex Determination – “… Henking (1891) could trace a specific nuclear structure all through spermatogenesis in a few insects, and it was also observed by him that 50 per cent of the sperm received this structure after spermatogenesis, whereas the other 50 per cent sperm did not receive it. Henking gave a name to this structure as the X body but he could not explain its significance. Further investigations by other scientists led to the conclusion that the ‘X body’ of Henking was in fact a chromosome and that is why it was given the name X-chromosome.”