Calvin Bridges
| Calvin Blackman Bridges | |
|---|---|
| Born |
January 11, 1889 Schuyler Falls, New York |
| Died |
December 27, 1938 (aged 49) Los Angeles, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Fields | genetics |
| Alma mater | Columbia University (B.S., 1912) (Ph.D., 1916) |
| Known for | Heredity, polytene chromosome |
Calvin Blackman Bridges (January 11, 1889 – December 27, 1938) was an American scientist, known for his contributions to the field of genetics. Along with Alfred Sturtevant and H.J. Muller, Bridges was part of the famous fly room of Thomas Hunt Morgan at Columbia University.
Calvin Blackman Bridges was born in Schuyler Falls, New York in 1889 to the parents of Leonard Bridges and Charlotte Blackman. Tragically, Calvin's mother died when he was two years old, and his father died a year after his mother's death, leaving Calvin Bridges an orphan. Following the death of his parents, Bridges was taken in and raised by his grandmother. Despite now being known in the scientific world as one of the most influential researchers regarding Drosophila melanogaster, it took Bridges several years to complete high school, graduating when he was 20 years old. However, despite this setback, Bridges moved on to be an outstanding student at Columbia University, which he attended both for undergraduate and postgraduate school. While taking a zoology class, Bridges met Thomas Hunt Morgan. This started a relationship which would lead to many important discoveries in the scientific world regarding genetics and evolution. Calvin Bridges went on to marry Gertrude Ives and have four children. Bridges was known to be both brilliant and very kind and considerate. However, it should be noted that he was equally well known for his womanizing and struggles to keep up with family obligations. He was an atheist. In 1938 he died of an infection to his pericardium.
The "Fly Room" experiments began in 1910, with Thomas Hunt Morgan being the main experimental developer. Those working alongside Bridges and Hunt included Alfred Sturtevant and Hermann Joseph Muller. The "Fly Room" experiments took place for seventeen years, yielding significant results in regards to the field of genetics. "Fly Room" experiments used the common fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster because they are cheap, accessible, and reproduce quickly. The "Fly Room" experiments resulted in discoveries that explained many issues such as sex chromosome linkage, genetic information in chromosomes, and chromosomal arrangement. These men also contributed to the understanding of mutations on evolution and genetics in general.
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