Dorothea Pertz facts for kids

Dorothea Frances Matilda "Dora" Pertz (born March 14, 1859 – died March 6, 1939) was a British botanist. Botanists are scientists who study plants. She worked with Francis Darwin, who was the son of the famous scientist Charles Darwin. Together, they wrote five important science papers. Dora Pertz was also one of the first women to become a full member of the Linnean Society. This was a big achievement for women in science at that time.

Biography

Dora Pertz was born in London on March 14, 1859. Her father was Georg Heinrich Pertz. Her mother was Leonora Horner. Leonora's father, Leonard Horner, was a smart thinker. He strongly supported Charles Darwin's ideas about evolution.

Dora grew up in a family that valued education. Many women in her family were very smart. Her aunt, Katharine Murray Lyell, was also a botanist. Through her family, Dora met many famous naturalists, including Charles Darwin himself.

Dora spent most of her childhood in Berlin, Germany. Her father worked there as the Royal Librarian. Even so, they visited England every year. After her father passed away in 1876, Dora moved to Florence, Italy, with her mother.

Later, she returned to England. In 1882, she started studying at Newnham College, Cambridge. She spent another year in Italy before coming back to Cambridge in 1884. The next year, she studied botany as part of her science degree. She earned good grades. Much later, in 1932, she received her Master of Arts degree. This was possible after women were allowed to officially receive degrees.

Dora then started doing research on how plants work. She worked with Francis Darwin, who was a professor at the university. From 1892 to 1912, they published five science papers together. During this time, she also worked with William Bateson. She wrote a paper with him about how traits are passed down in a plant called Veronica. She also wrote two papers by herself.

In 1905, Dora became a fellow of the Linnean Society. She was among the first women to be full members. After Francis Darwin retired, another scientist named Frederick Blackman encouraged Dora to study plant growth. She observed seeds growing for a year. However, her results were not clear. She stopped doing research after this. Some people think she was disappointed. Another scientist, Agnes Arber, said Dora realized that modern plant science needed a lot of math, physics, and chemistry, which she didn't feel strong in.

Even after she stopped research, Dora continued to help science. At Blackman's suggestion, she started organizing German science papers about plant physiology. This was a very hard job, but she finished it up to the year 1935.

Between 1923 and 1936, Dora drew pictures for her friend Edith Rebecca Saunders' papers. These papers were about the parts of flowers. Both the papers and Dora's drawings were highly praised. Dora loved science so much that she often worked without pay. She never had a formal job at Newnham College or the university.

Dora also helped people in need. During the First World War, she worked as a masseuse at a hospital in Cambridge.

After being sick for several years, Dora Pertz passed away in Cambridge on March 6, 1939. She was cremated and buried at Brookwood Cemetery.

See also

In Spanish: Dorothea Pertz para niños