Golgi: a life in science

Abstract

In 1906, the professors of the Karolinska Institute had a problem; who should get the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine? In the previous 25 years, understanding of the structure of the brain and spinal cord had greatly increased. The nerve cell, or neuron, had been identified as the fundamental unit of the nervous system. The new discoveries had helped to understand the normal functions of the brain and spinal cord and to interpret the causes of neurological disease. The work of two men had led to these advances. One, the Spaniard Santiago Ramon y Cajal (1852–1934) and the other, the Italian Camillo Golgi (1843–1926). Cajal's great contribution was recognized in his own day, and he continues to be revered. Golgi is acknowledged, but far less well known. Golgi: a biography of the founder of modern neuroscience by Paolo Mazzarello (2009) is explicit in its claims and goes some way to redressing the imbalance.