by C. D. Darlington, F.R.S., Director of the John Innes Horticultural Institution
The now familiar word heredity is less than a century old: it dates from Darwin's day. Dr. Darlington explains how the idea of heredity evolved, and he discusses the confusion that has existed throughout the ages concerning understanding of the connection between parent and offspring. He traces the concept through various vicissitudes to the new view of heredity based on the experimental investigations of Galton and Mendel and the microscopic study of germ cells and chromosomes.
