Transcript The contributions of Ramón y Cajal

UNIT
1
Living organisms
THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF
RAMÓN Y CAJAL
Natural Science 2. Secondary Education
UNIT
1
The contributions of Ramón y Cajal
Santiago Ramón y Cajal
• He was born in Petilla de
Aragón in Navarre in 1852.
• He studied medicine at the
University of Zaragoza, and
was especially interested in
anatomy and histology.
• He served as an army doctor,
but later became interested in
the study of human tissue.
Natural Science 2. Secondary Education
UNIT
1
The contributions of Ramón y Cajal
• Part of Santiago Ramón y
Cajal’s research involved
histological studies of nervous
tissue, which, at that time was
believed to be made up of a
network of fibres.
• To prove that nerve cells existed,
Ramón y Cajal applied Italian
scientist Camillo Golgi’s method of
staining with silver nitrates to tissue
samples taken from embryos.
Natural Science 2. Secondary Education
UNIT
1
The contributions of Ramón y Cajal
• By perfecting staining with silver
nitrates, Ramón y Cajal was able to
identify entire neurons on his slides.
• He observed that these cells were
connected to each other despite the
fact that they did not touch each other.
• In May 1888, he published his many
discoveries, which he backed up with
high-quality slide preparations and
impressive drawings.
• In 1906, he was awarded the Nobel
Prize for Medicine together with Camillo
Golgi.
Natural Science 2. Secondary Education