Andrew Huxley Autogramm

Profession:
(1917-2012) Englischer Physiologe und Biophysiker. Nach seinem Abschluss an der Westminster School in Central London, von wo aus er ein Stipendium für das Trinity College in Cambridge erhielt, schloss er sich Alan Lloyd Hodgkin an, um Nervenimpulse zu studieren. Ihre spätere Entdeckung der Grundlage für die Ausbreitung von Nervenimpulsen (als Aktionspotential bezeichnet) brachte ihnen 1963 den Nobelpreis für Physiologie oder Medizin ein.

Year of Birth: 1917

Andrew Fielding Huxley was a British physiologist and biophysicist born on November 22, 1917, in Hampstead, London. He was the youngest of three children of Leonard Huxley, a writer, editor, and politician, and Rosalind Bruce Huxley, a biographer and educator.

After studying at Westminster School in London, Huxley entered Trinity College, Cambridge, where he received his Bachelor's degree in natural sciences in 1939. Due to the outbreak of World War II, he joined the British Army and served in the Royal Artillery until 1946.

Upon returning to Cambridge, Huxley pursued his research in biophysics, focusing on the mechanisms of muscle contraction. His groundbreaking work with Alan Hodgkin on the electrical impulses in nerve fibers led to the development of the theory of the action potential, for which they were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1963.

In addition to his scientific contributions, Huxley held various academic positions, including a professorship at University College London. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Society and received numerous awards and honors for his research in physiology and biophysics.

Throughout his career, Huxley continued to advance the understanding of muscle contraction and nerve impulse transmission, making significant contributions to the field of biophysics. He passed away on May 30, 2012, leaving a lasting legacy in the scientific community.