In exploring fundamental issues in heredity and development, Theodor Boveri carried out intriguing studies of the role of the nucleus and chromosomes in development. Boveri, a pioneer in the field of cytology, developed the theory of the genetic continuity of the chromosomes and analyzed the development of spermatozoa and ova.

Boveri was born in Bamberg, Bavaria (now Germany) and earned his M.D. (1885) from the University of Munich in 1885. As a medical student, Boveri's special interest was anatomy. He studied zoology with Richard Hertwig (1850-1937). In 1887, Boveri was appointed lecturer in zoology and comparative anatomy at Munich. From 1885 to 1893, Boveri carried out cytological research, including his landmark studies of the chromosomes, at the Zoological Institute in Munich. In 1893, Boveri became professor of zoology and comparative anatomy at the University of Wurzburg, where he remained until his death.

In 1887, Boveri described the development of an unfertilized egg, including the...