Grigory Levitsky

He worked along with Nikolai Vavilov who examined the role of mitochondria in plant heredity while also studying polyploidy and mutations.

He introduced the term karyotype as used in its current sense, the phenotypic characterization of the set of diploid somatic chromosomes.

Levitsky was born in Bilky [uk], Ukraine, where his father was a priest in the Russian Orthodox church.

Vavilov invited Levitsky to establish a cytology laboratory at the All-Union Institute of Plant Industry that he directed from 1925.

Levitsky considered evolution by polyploidy, examined mutation induction and hybridization and became known as the leading plant cytogeneticist.

After he refused, he was sent into exile but in 1934 Vavilov, H. J. Muller and others influenced a pardon and he was allowed to return to Detskoe Selo.

Following World War II, his name was included as a winner of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour.