Question

Who is known as the father of biochemical/ physiological genetics?
A. Slatyer
B. Elton
C. Taylor
D. Archibald Garrod

Answer 1

Hint:The scientist credited as the father of biochemical/ physiological genetics was a pediatrician at the Great Ormond Street Hospital, London. He dedicatedly worked towards understanding the conditions arising from inborn errors of metabolism.

Complete answer:The father of biochemical genetics is an English physician, Sir Archibald Garrod (1857-1936). He was a brilliant student of rheumatic diseases, and also succeeded Sir William Osler to take up the designation of Professor of Medicine at Oxford. He significantly discovered the genetic condition of alkaptonuria and worked on its inheritance. Very early on in his career, he had developed an unusual interest in the field of chemical pathology, and that led him to discover the chemistry underlying urine and how the systematic metabolism affected humans and the diseases caused by it. This specific research, along with the relatively new concepts proposed by Mendel, on the dangerous disease (i.e. alkaptonuria) made him believe that there may be many diseases that are misunderstood to be caused by defects in metabolism.

So, the correct answer is option D. Archibald Garrod.

Note: He made many contributions and published his papers on several other diseases such as pentosuria, cystinuria, and albinism which all are related to biochemical pathways involved in human physiology.