Lysenko's ghost : epigenetics and Russia /
Loren Graham.
- 1 online resource (209 pages) : illustrations, portraits
Includes bibliographical references and index.
The friendly siberian foxes -- The inheritance of acquired characteristics -- Paul Kammerer, enfant terrible of biology -- The great debate about human heredity in 1920s Russia -- Lysenko up close -- Lysenko�s biological views -- Epigenetics -- The recent rebirth of Lysenkoism in Russia -- Surprising effects of the new Lysenkoism -- Anti-Lysenko Russian supporters of the inheritance of acquired characteristics.
"Epigenetics, a new field in biology, has shown that in some instances organisms can inherit characteristics acquired by their ancestors during their lifetimes, a view that was discredited during most of the twentieth century. Trofim Lysenko, a Russian agronomist long considered a charlatan, was a strong advocate of the inheritance of acquired characteristics. In the last few years a number of Russian science writers and scientists have claimed that epigenetics proves that Lysenko was right after all. This book evaluates that claim."--Provided by publisher.