The Chromosomal Theory of Inheritance was first proposed by Walter Sutton and Theodor Boveri in the early 1900s.

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Sutton and Boveri independently observed the behavior of chromosomes during cell division and concluded that they were the carriers of genetic information.

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Sutton observed the chromosomes of grasshoppers and noted their behavior during meiosis, the process of cell division that produces gametes (sex cells).

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Boveri observed the chromosomes of sea urchin eggs and noted their behavior during fertilization, the process by which the sperm and egg combine to form a new organism.

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Both Sutton and Boveri concluded that chromosomes contain the genes that determine an organism's traits.

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They also proposed that the behavior of chromosomes during meiosis and fertilization can account for the patterns of inheritance observed in offspring.

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Specifically, they proposed that each chromosome carries many genes arranged in a linear fashion, and that the way in which the chromosomes segregate and combine during meiosis and fertilization determines which genes are passed on to offspring.

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The Chromosomal Theory of Inheritance revolutionized the study of genetics and paved the way for advances in molecular genetics and genetic engineering.

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Sutton and Boveri were both honored for their contributions to the field of genetics, with Sutton being awarded the Thomas Hunt Morgan Medal and Boveri being honored with the Boveri Medal.

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Today, the Chromosomal Theory of Inheritance is a fundamental principle of genetics and is taught in biology classes around the world.

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