Mary Frances Lyon
1925 - 2014
Embedded Files
Our Mission
Figure 1. Mary Lyon
The primary goal of our website is to highlight the life of and substantial scientific contributions of Mary F. Lyon to biology. She stood out to us because of her pioneering scientific discoveries and her dedication to science and research, as well as her mentorship in genetics. While Lyon is recognized today as a prominent figure in science, during the time of her research, females were neither common in science nor received a level of attention or respect equal to their male colleagues.
We wish to acknowledge the many marginalized scientists who have been denied or robbed of recognition or credit due to gender, race, sexuality, background, socioeconomic status, or other factors.
Thesis Statement
Thesis Statement
Mary F. Lyon was a pioneering female scientist in the 20th century who is now known for the discovery of X-chromosome inactivation. Despite numerous personal and professional hardships including educational barriers and societal prejudice, she eventually received recognition for her significant contributions to the study of genetics.
Fun Fact About Mary Lyon:
"Her first love was mice, although she always had a cat" Fun Fact About Mary Lyon:
By discovering X-chromosome inactivation, Mary was able to explain why calico cats are always female.
Lyon proposed that this particular coat pattern is due to the random inactivation of one of the two X chromosomes in females during early embryo development (Opitz 2015).
Click here to view references for this page
Click here to view references for this page
Brown S and Cattanach B. 2015 Jan 21. Mary Lyon Obituary. The Guardian. London (UK): Guardian Media Group; [accessed 2023 Nov 6]. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jan/21/mary-lyon
Opitz JM. 2015. Of mice and cats (both calico): Mary F Lyon, FRS (1925–2014). Am J Med Genet Part A. [accessed 2023 Nov 1]. 167(A); 1957–1961. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmg.a.37141
Photo references
Photo references
Header image: Wikimedia Commons. 2022 January 18. File: Compound Microscope.JPG [accessed 2023 Nov 6]. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Compound_Microscope.JPG.
Figure 1. Brown S and Cattanach B. 2015 Jan 21. Mary Lyon Obituary. The Guardian. London (UK): Guardian Media Group; [accessed 2023 Dec 4]. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jan/21/mary-lyon
Cat Image: X. X (formerly Twitter). [accessed 2023 Dec 4]. https://twitter.com/Jente_O/status/1128642305529982981/photo/1.
Page updated
Report abuse