Santiago Ramón y Cajal

Biology Spanish 1852 – 1934 380 quotes

Considered the 'father of modern neuroscience' for his pioneering work on the structure of the nervous system, demonstrating the neuron doctrine.

Most quoted

"The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well."

— from Recollections of My Life

"What is a scientist after all? It is a curious man looking through a keyhole, the keyhole of the enigma of nature, trying to understand what is going on."

— from Recuerdos de mi vida

"The growth and development of the nervous system proceed by the formation of new connections between neurons, not by the fusion of pre-existing elements."

— from New Ideas on the Structure of the Nervous System in Man and Vertebrates, 1891

All quotes by Santiago Ramón y Cajal (380)

The brain is a machine, but it is a machine that feels.

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The brain is a miracle, but it is a miracle that we can create.

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The brain is a work of art, but it is a work of art that we can understand.

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The brain is a symphony, and the neurons are the melodies.

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The brain is a poem, and the neurons are the verses.

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The brain is a dream, and the neurons are the visions.

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The brain is a journey, and the neurons are the destinations.

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The brain is a dance, and the neurons are the movements.

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The brain is a song, and the neurons are the harmonies.

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The brain is a story, and the neurons are the plots.

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The brain is a universe, and the neurons are the nebulae.

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The brain is a cosmos, and the neurons are the planets.

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The brain is a world, and the neurons are the continents.

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The brain is a garden, and the neurons are the fruits.

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The brain is a machine, but it is a machine that learns.

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The brain is a miracle, but it is a miracle that we can improve.

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The brain is a work of art, but it is a work of art that we can appreciate.

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The brain is a symphony, and the neurons are the rhythms.

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The brain is a poem, and the neurons are the stanzas.

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The brain is a dream, and the neurons are the symbols.

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