Murray Barr facts for kids

Murray Llewellyn Barr (June 20, 1908 – May 4, 1995) was a Canadian doctor and scientist. He made a very important discovery in 1948 with his student, Ewart George Bertram. They found a special part inside cells called the "Barr body". This discovery helped us understand more about human genetics.

Early Life and Studies

Murray Barr was born in Belmont, Ontario. He went to the University of Western Ontario for his studies. He earned several degrees there. He became a Bachelor of Arts in 1930. Then, he became a medical doctor (M.D.) in 1933. He also earned a Master of Science degree in 1938.

During World War II, from 1939 to 1945, he served in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). He was a wing commander. After the war, he returned to the University of Western Ontario. He worked there as a professor from 1936 until 1977.

Discovering the Barr Body

In 1948, Dr. Barr and his student, Ewart George Bertram, were studying nerve cells. They noticed a small, dark spot inside the cells of female cats. This spot was not present in the cells of male cats. They called this spot the "Barr body."

What is a Barr Body?

The Barr body is actually a special X chromosome. Females have two X chromosomes, while males have one X and one Y chromosome. In female cells, one of the X chromosomes becomes inactive. It condenses into a small, dense structure. This inactive X chromosome is the Barr body. Its discovery was a big step in understanding how genes work. It also helped explain some genetic conditions.

New Medical Tests

In 1955, Dr. Barr worked with another scientist, K.L. Moore. They developed a simple test called the buccal smear test. This test uses cells from the inside of your cheek. Doctors could look at these cells to see if a person had the correct number of Barr bodies.

How the Buccal Smear Test Helped

This test helped doctors find people with unusual numbers of sex chromosomes. For example, some people might have an extra X chromosome. Or they might be missing one. Finding these differences helped doctors understand certain health conditions. Later, more detailed tests like karyotyping were used. Karyotyping lets doctors see all of a person's chromosomes. This research greatly improved our knowledge of genetic problems.

Books and Recognition

Dr. Murray Barr wrote two important books. One was called The Human Nervous System. This book was used by many medical students to learn about the brain and nerves. His other book was A Century of Medicine at Western.

He received many awards for his work. In 1959, he won the Flavelle Medal from the Royal Society of Canada. In 1962, he received an award for his work on understanding causes of mental challenges. He also won the Gairdner Foundation International Award in 1963. In 1968, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. This is one of Canada's highest honors. In 1972, he became a fellow of the Royal Society of London. After he passed away, in 1998, he was added to the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame. He was even nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.