Frits Warmolt Went (May 18, 1903 – May 1, 1990) was a Dutch biologist whose 1928 experiment demonstrated the existence of auxin in plants.
Went's father was the prominent Dutch botanist F.A.F.C. Went. After graduating from the University of Utrecht, Holland in 1927 with a dissertation on the effects of the plant hormone auxin, Went then worked as a plant pathologist in the research labs of the Royal Botanical Garden in Buitenzorg, Dutch East Indies (now Bogor, Indonesia) from 1927 to 1933. He then took a position at Caltech in Pasadena, California, first researching plant hormones. His interest gradually shifted to environmental influences on plant growth. At Caltech he was among the first to demonstrate the importance of hormones in plant growth and development. He played an important role in the development of synthetic plant hormones, which then became the basis of much of the agricultural chemical industry.
Frees is known for the Cholodny–Went model, named after Went and the Soviet scientist N. Cholodny.
They proposed it in 1937, after coming independently to the same conclusions.
This is an early model describing the phototropic and gravitropic properties of emerging shoots of monocotyledons. It proposes that auxin, a plant growth hormone, is synthesized in the coleoptile tip, which senses light or gravity and will send the auxin down the appropriate side of the shoot. This causes asymmetric growth of one side of the plant. As a result, the plant shoot will begin to bend toward a light source or toward the surface.Funded by generous donors, Went constructed a series of greenhouses at Caltech in which he could vary light conditions, humidity, temperature, air quality and other variables. In 1949 this led to him to construct a large new complex of climate-controlled rooms called the Earhart Plant Research Laboratory, also known as the "phytotron." Here he produced foundational research of the effects of air pollution on plant growth.
In his 1960 article 'Blue Haze in the Atmosphere' Went postulated the importance of biogenic volatile organic compounds emitted by forests for atmospheric new particle formation which has been highly influential in the field of atmospheric chemistry. The blue haze is now known to be
primarily a result of light scattering on secondary organic aerosols, generated via the partitioning of volatile organic chemicals in the atmosphere after successive oxidation and hence reduction in vapor pressure.
In 1958 Went was appointed director of the Missouri Botanical Garden and professor of Botany at Washington University in St Louis, at a point where he had become a world recognized authority on plant growth. He moved from Pasadena to St. Louis with his wife Catharina and their two children, Hans and Anneka. After the opening of the Climatron, the world's first geodesic dome greenhouse, Went's vision of a renewed Missouri Botanical Garden eventually came into conflict with that of its board of trustees, and he resigned as director in 1963. After two years as simply Professor of Botany at Washington University, in 1965 he then became director of the Desert Research Institute at the University of Nevada-Reno, where he continued his research on desert plants for the remainder of his career, and on occasion lectured in the Department of Biology, University of Nevada-Reno. He remained active in many fields of botany until his death in 1990.
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Some of their strengths
Frits Warmolt Went has many admirable traits.
Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Optimistic, Perseverent, Artistic, Altruistic, Independent, Sophisticated, and Organized.
Strong and Diligent
According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, Frits Warmolt Went is someone who is a strong, diligent, and trustworthy person who approaches life with honesty and perseverance, but who is also physical, sensual, and artistic. A person who sees life as a journey not a destination.
Passionate and Intense
Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know Frits Warmolt Went well know them as someone who can be passionate, proud, and intense, like the sun or a blazing fire.
Independent and Organized
According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe Frits Warmolt Went as someone who is independent, organized, inventive, and generous.
A person who is curious and a loves learning, who seems to always know what to say, who has an optimism that can overcome any difficult situation, and who seems to be able to master almost any skill.
Justice-seeking and Insightful
Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, Frits Warmolt Went is someone who tends to be intolerant of unfairness in life, and who has an uncanny ability to reveal the truth in any situation.
They are also someone who is confident and creative, and who has a love for starting new projects, inventing new things, and giving back to the community.
Patient and Compassionate
According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, Frits Warmolt Went tends to be someone who approaches life with grace and compassion, and who has a powerful and commanding personality. Who can be analytical, patient, and deliberate, avoiding risks and seeking out stability instead.
Some of Frits Warmolt Went's challenges
While Frits Warmolt Went has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.
For example, Frits Warmolt Went can be Stubborn, Idle, Rebellious, Emotionally Distant, Difficult, Perfectionist, and Domineering.
Stubborn and Idle
One of Frits Warmolt Went's key challenges is that they are someone who can be seen as stubborn and, at times, lazy.
Domineering and Impatient
Frits Warmolt Went is someone who can be demanding, egotistical, and controlling, can have a lack of judgment regarding personal finances, be argumentative and stubborn, and who can have a tendency to be withdrawn and spend time in self-imposed isolation.
Materialistic and Aggressive
Finally, Frits Warmolt Went also can be materialistic, emotional, aggressive, stubborn, inconsistent, and be prone to big temper outbursts.