Hans Winkler

Hans Karl Albert Winkler (23 April 1877 in Oschatz – 22 November 1945 in , Dresden) was a German botanist. From 1912 on, he was Professor of Botany at the University of Hamburg, and a director of that university's Institute of Botany. Winkler coined the term 'heteroploidy' in 1916. He is remembered for coining the term 'genome' in 1920, by making a portmanteau of the words gene and chromosome. He wrote:

This may be translated as: "I propose the expression ''Genom'' for the haploid chromosome set, which, together with the pertinent protoplasm, specifies the material foundations of the species ..." Among his experiments was the discovery of chimeras (also chimaeras) by grafting a black Nightshade and tomato plant and observing a shoot which displayed characteristics of both plants.

Winkler also worked at the University of Naples, in Italy, where he researched the physiology of the alga ''Bryopsis''.

In 1903/04, he traveled around the world, visiting Ceylon, Java, Australia, New Zealand, Samoa and North America and later Borneo in 1924/25.

Apomixis, the process of asexual reproduction through seed without fertilization, was coined and defined by Hans Winkler in 1908.

He joined the NSDAP in 1937.

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