Ramón y Cajal, considered by many to be the father of modern neuroscience is the subject of the latest Google doodle on the Google home page for Spain.
Cajal, the son of a physician and anatomy lecturer, pioneered the study of the microscopic structure of the brain and his illustrations of brain cells are still used for educational purposes today.
Google’s latest doodle on Google.es shows a drawing of Cajal and what looks like a tree only with the branches resembling Cajal’s illustrations of brain structure. It then leads to a Google search for information about Cajal.
He made major contributions to neuroanatomy and provided the definitive evidence for what would later be known as neuron theory that the relationship between nerve cells was not one of continuity but rather contiguity – the foundation of modern neuroscience.
He accomplished his work at the universities of Zaragoza and Valencia and published over 100 scientific works. Cajal died in 1934.
The asteroid 117413 Ramonycajal is named in his honor.
