Biographical Memoirs Volume 66 (1995) / Chapter Skim
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Harry Grundfest
Harry Grundfest
Pages 150-167
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From page 151... ...
A concept that he put forth and that evolved over numerous publications was the heterogeneity of cellular membranes and the role this attribute of membranes plays in determining cellular activities. Initially his interpretation of currentciamp data led to the proposal that cell membranes are a composite of two types of membranes, electrically excitable and electrically inexcitable.
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From page 152... ...
The mosaic structure of membranes has been well substantiated by present-day techniques, which allow for biochemical identification and separation of various segments of cell membranes and classification of the ion channel types associated with them. Examples are the tubular system in muscle and synaptosomal fraction of nerve cells.
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From page 153... ...
This work dealing with nerve regeneration and wound damage to the peripheral and central nervous system was mainly described in restricted reports, but some of this material was published in biological journals. At the end of the war Harry returned to his alma mater to stay for the remainder of his career.
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From page 154... ...
research cluring this period included membership on the advisory committee for planning the biology building for the Weizmann Institute and chairperson of the medical advisory board of the Hebrew University and Hadassah (1950-54~. He traveled to Israel in 1950 to deal with matters concerning the organization of the medical center.
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From page 155... ...
drive for deciphering the basis of the electrical activity monitored topically from cerebral and cerebelIar cortices. Both Harry and Dominick Purpura shared the belief that the dominant contribution to the cortical electrical activity was from excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (e.p.s.p.
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From page 156... ...
This research, which led to the conclusion that GABA was the transmitter for the inhibitory n.mj., was done in part by myself under Harry's guidance during my tenure as a Grass Fellow at the Marine Biological Laboratories in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, in 1958. ~ joined the laboratory as a postdoctoral fellow the following year and stayed on as a member of the department for the remainder of Harry's career.
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From page 157... ...
Something that never failed to draw the attention of new members and first-time visitors was the placement of several gallon jars on the center table just before the lunch period. The contents could be properly prepared only by a special store located somewhere on the lower east side of Manhattan.
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From page 158... ...
Keeping the group supplied with adequate electrophysiological equipment was a demanding job. To this end, Harry enlarged his medical electronics facility, which was not locatect in the Kramer Building, but occupied space in the recently built Black Building, a part of the medical school complex.
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From page 159... ...
The yearly pilgrimage to Woods Hole was considered by Harry to be a major part of his training program. Neurophysiology was at its pinnacle in the 1960s and electrophysiological research at the Marine Biological Laboratories was highly competitive and carried out at a fever pitch.
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From page 160... ...
The latter involved extensive electron microscopic investigations of both types of junctions, mainly in preparations from fish. This aspect of the work was carried out by George Pappas, a member of the Department of Anatomy and a longtime collaborator.
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From page 161... ...
that were published in 1975 are listed: "History of the Synapse as a Morphological and Functional Structure," "Physiology of Electrogenic Excitable Membranes," and "The Role for Elementary Properties of Sensory Receptors in Transduction and Coding Information." A finding that strongly supported Harry's view that cell membranes are a mosaic of ion permeabilities was the observed change in light scattering by single muscle fibers subjected to conditions that cause an outward movement of chioricle ions. The change in light scattering was due to localized and osmotically induced swellings (accumulation of salt within a restricted volume)
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From page 162... ...
. These data led to an empirical formulation describing force generation in which the contractile proteins could exist in one of three states: rigor (zero MgATP)
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From page 163... ...
He was an honorary member of the Czechosiovak Medical Society. He was awarded the degree of doctor honoris cause by the University of Geneva in Switzerland and he received the Claude Bernard Mecial of the Sorbonne, as well as the Physicians and Surgeons Distinguished Service Award from Columbia University.
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From page 164... ...
Freygang. The effect of sodium and potassium ions on the impedance changes accompanying the spike in the squid giant axon.
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From page 165... ...
Amatniek. Anesthetic and calcium action in the voltage clamped squid giant axon.
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From page 166... ...
Berman. Regulation of tension in the skinned crayfish muscled fibers.
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