ArticleslgStudy

biology

Margaret T. Fuller

Margaret T. Fuller is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Margaret T. Fuller rather than just read about it. In short: Margaret "Minx" Tatnall Fuller is an American developmental biologist known for her research on the male germ line and defining the role of the stem cell environment (the hub cells that establish the niche of particular cells) in specifying cell fate and differentiation. Fuller is the Reed-Hodgson Professor of Human Biology at Stanford University, and former chair of the Stanford Department of Developmental Biology.

Key takeaways

  • Margaret T. Fuller belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Margaret T. Fuller to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Margaret T. Fuller from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Margaret "Minx" Tatnall Fuller is an American developmental biologist known for her research on the male germ line and defining the role of the stem cell environment (the hub cells that establish the niche of particular cells) in specifying cell fate and differentiation. Fuller is the Reed-Hodgson Professor of Human Biology at Stanford University, and former chair of the Stanford Department of Developmental Biology.

Biography Fuller earned a B.A. in physics from Brandeis University in 1974, and a Ph.D. in microbiology from MIT in 1980, working with Jonathan King. She completed her postdoctoral work in developmental genetics at Indiana University, working with Elizabeth Raff and Thomas Kaufman, from 1980 to 1983. Fuller joined the University of Colorado faculty and then joined Stanford University in 1990, where she began working on spermatogenesis, doing genetic analysis of microtubule structure and function. Fuller is married to fellow biologist Matthew P. Scott.

Key papers Raff, E.C. and M. T. Fuller, et al., "Regulation of tubulin gene expression during embryogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster", Cell v.28, pp. 33–40 (1982). Fuller, M.T. et al., "Genetic Analysis of Microtubule Structure: A b-tubulin Mutation Causes the Formation of Aberrant Microtubule in vivo and in vitro", Journal of Cell Biology, v.104, pp. 385–394 (1987). Fuller, M.T. and P.G. Wilson, "Force and Counter Force in the Mitotic Spindle", Cell, v.71, pp. 547–550 (1992). Fuller, M.T., "Riding the Polar Winds: Chromosomes Motor Down East," Cell, v.81, pp. 5–8 (1995). Hales, K.G., M.T. Fuller, "Developmentally Regulated Mitochondrial Fusion Mediated by a Conserved, Novel, Predicted GTPase", Cell (1997). G. J. Hermann, J.W. Thatcher, J.P. Mills, K.G. Hales, M.T. Fuller, "Mitochondrial Fusion in Yeast Requires the Transmembrane GTPase Fzo1p", Journal of Cell Biology (1998). Kiger, A., H. White-Cooper, and M.T. fuller, "Somatic support cells restrict germ line stem cell self-renewal and promote differentiation", Nature v.407, pp. 750–754 (2000).

Additional publications Margaret T. Fuller and Allan C. Spradling, Review, "Male and Female Drosophila Germline Stem Cells: Two Versions of Immortality", Science, v.316, n.5823, pp. 402–404 (April 20, 2007).

Awards 1980 - Jane Coffin Childs Fellow 1985-86 - Searle Scholar 2004 - Reed-Hodgson Professor, Human Biology, Stanford University 2006 - Elected member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences 2008 - Elected member, National Academy of Sciences 2022 - Genetics Society of America Medal

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Margaret T. Fuller

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Margaret T. Fuller claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Margaret T. Fuller before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Margaret T. Fuller ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Margaret T. Fuller

In research
Margaret T. Fuller appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Margaret T. Fuller in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Margaret T. Fuller is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 20th-century American biologists, 20th-century American women biologists, 21st-century American biologists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Margaret T. Fuller outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Margaret T. Fuller” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Margaret T. Fuller in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Margaret T. Fuller means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Margaret T. Fuller out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Margaret T. Fuller in simple terms?

Margaret "Minx" Tatnall Fuller is an American developmental biologist known for her research on the male germ line and defining the role of the stem cell environment (the hub cells that establish the niche of particular cells) in specifying cell fate and differentiation. Fuller is the Reed-Hodgson…

Why does Margaret T. Fuller matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Margaret T. Fuller?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Margaret T. Fuller.

Tags

  • 20th-century American biologists
  • 20th-century American women biologists
  • 21st-century American biologists
  • 21st-century American women biologists
  • American developmental biologists
  • Brandeis University alumni
  • Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
  • Living people
  • MIT School of Science alumni
  • Members of the National Academy of Medicine
  • Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences
  • Searle Scholars Program recipients

Keep exploring