Females have made immense contributions to the field of science throughout history. From groundbreaking discoveries to major advancements in physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics, female scientists have been at the forefront of innovation for centuries. In honour of these remarkable accomplishments, here are top 10 facts about famous female scientists. Each of these pioneering women have made a lasting impact on the world of science and beyond.
1. Rosalind Franklin discovered the structure of DNA.
Rosalind was a British scientist!
She discovered the structure of our DNA using something called X-ray crystallography.
She had a PHD from Cambridge University in physical chemistry.
2. Caroline Herschel discovered eight comets!
Wow! That’s a lot of comets.
Caroline was an astronomer from Germany!
She was the first ever woman to be a paid astronomer.
3. Valentina Tereshkova orbited Earth 48 times.
Valentina was born in Russia and was the first woman to go to space!
She orbited Earth 48 times.
She was in a space capsule called Vostock 6.
Her mission lasted for almost three days!
Find out how big space is below!
4. Marie Curie discovered radioactive elements.
Marie discovered polonium and radium.
They are radioactive elements.
She managed to get these elements out of rocks which is where they are found.
They have been used to treat cancer using radioactivity.
5. Rita Levi-Montalcini discovered nerve growth.
Rita was from Italy and was a neurobiologist!
She was awarded a Nobel Prize for the discovery of nerve growth.
Rita lived for over 100 years!
6. Jane Goodall realised chimpanzees do human actions!
Jane is a primatologst and is from England!
This means she is a chimpanzee expert.
She started studying in Tanzania and realised that chimpanzees do lots of human actions!
These range from hugs, kisses and tickling each other!
7. Dorothy Hodgkin helped to develop insulin, penicillin and B12!
Dorothy was a biochemist from England.
She won a Nobel Prize in chemistry.
Dorothy developed protein crystallography which helped to find the structure of insulin, penicillin and B12!
8. Barbara McClintock realised chromosomes make up DNA.
Barbara was studying plant and animal cells.
When she was looking at the cells of corn under a microscope, she saw chromosomes.
She realised that these make up DNA!
9. Gertrude B. Elion developed lots of medicines!
Gertrude invented the first treatment for leukemia.
She also developed medicines that we use today for various different diseases and health problems.
Gertrude won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1988.
10. Alice Ball’s work is celebrated every four years.
Alice helped to find a cure for leprosy.
Her work is celebrated in Hawaii and she has her very own day!
It’s every four years and is on 29th February.
Send us your favourite facts!
Is there something we've missed? Got a fact you're dying to tell us? Submit it below and we could use it on a future Top 10 Facts page!
Remember to always ask an adult before filling out forms online.
Top 10 Facts
From the Tudors to rocks to fish, we have all the best facts right here!
More From Top 10 Facts
