Aino Henssen facts for kids

Aino Marjatta Henssen (born April 12, 1925, died August 29, 2011) was a German scientist who studied lichens. Lichens are like a mix of fungi and algae living together. Her father, Gottfried Henssen, studied old traditions and stories, and her mother was from Finland.

Education and Career

Aino Henssen started studying biology in Freiburg, Germany. She then continued her studies in Marburg, Germany. In 1953, she earned her PhD, where she focused on how a small plant called Spirodela polyrhiza works.

In 1963, she became a curator at the Botanical Institute at Philipps University in Marburg. A curator is someone who manages a collection, like plants in a museum. After getting her advanced degree (called a habilitation) in 1965, she became an Associate Professor in 1970. She taught about simple plants like algae and fungi, which are sometimes called thallophytes. She retired from her work in 1990.

Contributions

Aino Henssen greatly improved our understanding of cyanolichens, which are lichens that contain cyanobacteria. She wrote a very important textbook about them. This book changed how lichens were classified, showing how different types were related through evolution.

Later, she studied tiny bacteria called actinomycetes at an institute in Berlin. During this time, she discovered two new groups of these bacteria, which she named Pseudonocardia and Thermomonospora. Aino Henssen loved going on trips all over the world to collect plant samples for her research. Over the years, she published many scientific papers about lichens, fungi, and how to classify these groups.

Recognition

Aino Henssen received a scholarship from the American Association of University Women. In 1992, she was given the Acharius Medal, which is a very important award for scientists who study lichens.

Named in Her Honor

Many lichens have been named after Aino Henssen to celebrate her important work. These include:

• Ainoa, which is a whole genus (a group of related species) of lichens.
• Other species named after her include:
  • Caloplaca hensseniana
  • Diploschistes hensseniae
  • Gyalidea hensseniae
  • Lecanora hensseniae
  • Nephroma hensseniae
  • Parmotrema hensseniae
  • Rhizocarpon hensseniae
  • Rimularia hensseniae
  • Stephanocyclos henssenianus
  • Xanthoparmelia hensseniae

See also

In Spanish: Aino Henssen para niños