The black sea dolphin nephron studied by Romanian nobel laureate george emil palade

Abstract

George Emil Palade was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine, with Albert Claude and Christian de Duve for cell fractions and the most important discovery: The ribosome, (corpuscula of Palade responsible for cellular proteins synthesis), mitochondria and reticulum endoplasmic. In 1975 Palade was elected Honorary member of the Romanian Academy. The scientific biography of Palade started in 1940 in Carol Davila Medical University with research of morphology and physiology of Dolphin Kidney. As a student G. E. Palade was fascinated by Professor Francisc Iosif Rainer (Anatomy and Anthropology), Andre Boivin (Biochemistry) and Gr. T. Popa. The doctoral thesis of G.E. Palade under the coordination of Fr. Rainer was about anatomical structure and physiology adaptation of dolphin kidney, the adaptation from terrestrial to sea life. The doctoral thesis of G. E. Palade remains unknown and outclassed by his research, considering “mile-stones” in cell biology. The dolphin kidney, dissected in 1939 by G. E. Palade, exists in the Anatomy Laboratory of Medical Faculty (Carol Davila University Bucharest). We present here his medical history which started with a research of macroscopic and microscopic structures of dolphin kidney, adaptation like member and affections of nephrons. Palade thesis confirmed his hypothesis and Rainer’s that dolphins descend from terrestrial mammal, although further adapted to the see life having short urinary tubs.