Ragnar Granit

Granit-1967-Nobel

Ragnar Granit (October 30, 1900 – March 12, 1991) was a Finnish-Swedish physiologist and neuroscientist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1967 for his discoveries concerning the primary physiological and chemical visual processes in the eye. His pioneering research laid the foundation for a deeper understanding of the visual system, significantly influencing the field of neuroscience.

Early Life and Education

Ragnar Granit was born in Riihimäki, Finland, into a Swedish-speaking family. He pursued his medical studies at the University of Helsinki, where he received his medical degree in 1927. Granit's early interest in the workings of the nervous system led him to focus on neurophysiology, a field that was gaining prominence at the time.

Career and Research

After completing his degree, Granit continued his research in various European laboratories, including the prestigious University of Oxford, where he worked with notable scientists such as Sir Charles Sherrington. This experience significantly shaped his research trajectory, focusing on the physiology of the nervous system and, more specifically, on how the eye perceives and processes light.

Granit's most notable work involved the study of the retina and the discovery of different types of photoreceptor cells responsible for color vision. He was among the first to apply electrophysiological methods to the study of the human eye, using microelectrodes to record the activity of single retinal cells. His research demonstrated how different cells in the retina respond to different wavelengths of light, contributing to our understanding of color vision and the visual process.

Nobel Prize

In 1967, Ragnar Granit was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine along with Haldan Keffer Hartline and George Wald "for their discoveries concerning the primary physiological and chemical visual processes in the eye". This recognition was a testament to the significance of his contributions to the field of visual neuroscience and his pioneering techniques in electrophysiology.

Later Years and Legacy

After receiving the Nobel Prize, Granit continued his research and teaching, primarily at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, where he had moved in the late 1940s. He remained active in the scientific community, contributing to various academic and research institutions until his retirement.

Ragnar Granit's legacy is evident in the vast body of knowledge he contributed to the understanding of the visual system. His work has paved the way for further research in neuroscience, particularly in the study of sensory perception and neural processing. Today, his methodologies and discoveries continue to influence the field, making him a pivotal figure in the history of neuroscience.

See Also

• Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
• Visual system
• Neuroscience
• Photoreceptor cell