Why a simple plaque? It marks the birthplace of a remarkable mind. This is the Fernando de Castro Plaque. It honors a pivotal figure in neuroscience. Fernando de Castro Rodríguez was born in this very house on Calle del Arenal. The year was 1896.
Fernando de Castro became one of Santiago Ramón y Cajal’s youngest and most brilliant students. He was a physician and researcher. De Castro delved into the mysteries of the nervous system. He became vice director of the Instituto Cajal.
Imagine young Fernando. He is working tirelessly alongside Cajal. They are meticulously studying histological techniques. De Castro’s skill grew rapidly. He gained special recognition. Cajal chose de Castro to co-publish “Elementos de técnica micrográfica del sistema nervioso”. This book became a cornerstone of neurological study. It compiled techniques developed by the Spanish Neurological School.
Now fast forward to the 1920s. Fernando de Castro made a groundbreaking discovery. He studied the sensory innervation of the aorto-carotid region. He distinguished baroreceptors from chemoreceptors. Baroreceptors detect blood pressure changes. Chemoreceptors detect changes in blood’s chemical composition. De Castro located chemoreceptors in the glomus caroticum. This was the first description of an arterial chemoreceptor.
His work laid the anatomical foundation for cardiorespiratory reflexes. These reflexes had been described by Heinrich Hering. Corneille Heymans built upon de Castro’s findings. Heymans studied the carotid body and chemosensory reflexes. He even won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1938. Many believe de Castro should have shared this honor. His meticulous work paved the way for Heymans’ Nobel-winning research.
During the Spanish Civil War, de Castro and Jorge Francisco Tello defended the Instituto Cajal. They preserved its equipment and belongings. Madrid was a war zone but they risked their lives. After the war, de Castro created the Cajal Museum. He was removed from his university position for political reasons. Later, he was reinstated in 1950.
Until his death in 1967, Fernando de Castro embodied the spirit of the Cajal School. He organized a scientific congress in 1952. It celebrated Cajal’s birth centennial. Despite Spain’s delicate political situation, Nobel laureates attended. De Castro inspired many disciples. Constantino Sotelo and Facundo Valverde were morphologists. Antonio Gallego and Antonio Fernández de Molina were physiologists.
In 1963, de Castro joined the Royal Academy of Exact, Physical, and Natural Sciences. He received numerous awards throughout his career. In 1966, he received the Grand Cross of the Order of Alfonso X the Wise. De Castro also collaborated with Wilder Penfield.
Fernando de Castro died in 1967. He left behind a legacy of groundbreaking research. The Fernando de Castro Plaque marks more than a birthplace. It commemorates a life dedicated to science and the advancement of knowledge. His work continues to inspire neuroscientists around the world.