Francis Marshall (physiologist) facts for kids
Francis Hugh Adam Marshall (born July 11, 1878 – died February 5, 1949) was a British scientist who studied how animals reproduce. He was one of the first people to do important research into the biology and hormones involved in animal reproduction.
Marshall was honored with the CBE and was a FRS.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Francis Marshall was born in High Wycombe, England. He went to school in Windsor and Tunbridge Wells. Later, he studied at University College, London, and then at the University of Cambridge, finishing his studies there in 1900. He continued his learning at the University of Edinburgh, where he earned his first doctorate degree (DSc).
Career and Research
Marshall's first job was helping another scientist, James Cossar Ewart, in Edinburgh. He started his own research on how animals reproduce, focusing on the breeding cycle of sheep. This work led to his first important scientific paper in 1903. He then studied the oestrus cycle (which is the regular time when female mammals are fertile and ready to mate) in ferrets and dogs.
He also began to study the function of the ovary, which is an organ that produces eggs and hormones in females. In 1905, he published a very important paper that explained how the ovary produces different hormones that control changes in the uterus during the reproductive cycle. This was a big step in understanding how hormones affect reproduction.
From 1903 to 1908, Marshall taught Natural History at the University of Edinburgh. His work there helped lead to the creation of the Institute of Animal Genetics at the university a few years later.
In 1908, Marshall moved back to the University of Cambridge. He taught in the School of Agriculture and became a Reader (a senior academic position) in 1919. He was also a fellow at Christ's College, Cambridge, from 1909 until he passed away.
His research on reproduction was paused during the First World War. During this time, he helped the government with research on food and agriculture, like figuring out the best age to prepare cattle for food. After the war, his research looked at how outside things, like light and climate, affect reproduction. He also studied how birds court each other and reproduce.
Awards and Honours
Marshall received many awards for his important scientific work.
- In 1901, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
- In 1920, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a very high honor for scientists in the UK.
- He was made a CBE in 1933.
- He gave the Croonian Lecture in 1936, a prestigious lecture in biology.
- In 1940, he received the Royal Medal from the Royal Society.
The University of Edinburgh also gave him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree (LLD) in 1939.
Personal Life
Francis Marshall never married and did not have any children. He retired from his work in 1943. He died in Cambridge on February 5, 1949, at the age of 70.
Selected Publications
- The Physiology of Reproduction, with William Cramer and James Lochhead, London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1910; this book was updated several times over the years.
- The Physiology of Farm Animals (1920)
