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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What was the term that McClintock phrased that meant a capacity to change positions?

2. What was the name of the book that was published by Morgan, Sturtevant, Muller, and Bridges?

3. How often did fruit flies give geneticists a new generation to study?

4. How many papers did McClintock publish between the years of 1929 and 1931?

5. There was a gap that appeared in Barbara's list of publications. In what year did she not publish anything?

Short Essay Questions

1. After Barbara received her PhD in botany and was appointed as an instructor, she knew what her next task would be. What was that task?

2. Why was it described in the book that Barbara was born into the role of maverick and pioneer?

3. What are the three stages of prophase in meiosis?

4. What happened the time that Barbara was out playing basketball or volleyball in the neighborhood and a woman called her over to her house?

5. What did Barbara do when she heard of people that were being hired as associate professors that didn't have the same credentials as herself, yet she remained an assistant professor?

6. What does C.D. Darlington remind his colleagues of in the opening pages of Recent Advances in Cytology?

7. In Chapter 6, what are the three major concerns of twentieth-century biology that are mentioned?

8. What did James A. Peters say about the paper that Harriet Creighton and Barbara McClintock wrote?

9. What were Barbara's "personality difficulties" as described by T. H. Morgan?

10. What happened when Barbara signed up for a large overload of classes at Cornell and why did she do it?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Chapter 12, Evelyn Keller asks the question, "What enabled McClintock to see further and deeper into the mysteries of genetics than her colleagues?" She then answers with words from Barbara. In your own words describe how Barbara answered this question and then also answer the question from your own point of view after reading the book.

Essay Topic 2

Describe how Barbara's parents had an influence on her growing up and as an adult. Where do you think Barbara got her independence and scientific mind from?

Essay Topic 3

During the course of her life, Barbara McClintock had to deal with a lot of prejudices just because she was a woman. How would her life have been different had she been a man? Do you think she ever regretted the fact that she was a woman? Why or why not? Do you think women today still face certain barriers and "glass ceilings"? Explain your reasoning.

(see the answer keys)

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