Bateson
was an outstanding British biologist born at Whitby,
England, the son of the Master of St. John's College,
Cambridge University.
He occupied the first chair in genetics at
Cambridge University. He recognized the importance of
the work of Gregor Mendel and elaborated on the
significance of Mendel's results.
Bateson introduced and defended Mendel's principle
that "heredity occurs by the transmission of
particulate elements, genes, against the view that it
was continuous and non-particulate," (Encyclopedia
Brittanica).
His classical work was Materials for the Study
of Variation (1894). He also published Mendel's
Principles of Heredity (1902) and Problems of
Genetics (1913).
He was Director of the John Innes Horticultural
Institution from 1910 until his death.
