UNIT

1Living organisms

Natural Science 2. Secondary Education

THE CONTRIBUTIONS OFRAMÓN Y CAJAL

UNIT

1The contributions of Ramón y Cajal

Natural Science 2. Secondary Education

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.

• 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.

UNIT

1The contributions of Ramón y Cajal

Natural Science 2. Secondary Education

• 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.

UNIT

1The contributions of Ramón y Cajal

Natural Science 2. Secondary Education