Sir Vincent Wigglesworth | |
|---|---|
 Vincent Wigglesworth | |
| Born | (1899-04-17)17 April 1899 Wesham, Lancashire |
| Died | 11 February 1994(1994-02-11) (aged 94) |
| Known for | Metamorphosis hormones |
| Awards | Royal Medal(1955) Fellow of the Royal Society |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Entomologist |
| Institutions | University of Cambridge |
| Doctoral students | Peter Lawrence |
Sir Vincent Brian WigglesworthCBEFRS[1] (17 April 1899 – 11 February 1994) was aBritishentomologist who made significant contributions to the field ofinsectphysiology.[2][3] He established the field in a textbook which was updated in a number of editions.[4]
In particular, he studiedmetamorphosis. His most significant contribution was the discovery thatneurosecretory cells in the brain of the South Americankissing bug,Rhodnius prolixus, secrete a crucial hormone that triggers theprothoracic gland to releaseprothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH), which regulates the process of metamorphosis.[5] This was the first experimental confirmation of the function of neurosecretory cells. He went on to discover another hormone, called thejuvenile hormone, which prevented the development of adult characteristics inR. prolixus until the insect had reached the appropriate larval stage.[6] Wigglesworth was able to distort the developmental phases of the insect by controlling levels of this hormone. From these observations, Wigglesworth was able to develop a coherent theory of how an insect'sgenome can selectively activate hormones which determine its development andmorphology.
Wigglesworth served in theRoyal Field Artillery in France inWorld War I. He received his degree from theUniversity of Cambridge and lectured at theLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the University of London, and finally at theUniversity of Cambridge.
He was namedQuick Professor of Biology at the University of Cambridge in 1952, appointed CBE in 1951,[7] and knighted in 1964.[8]
Wigglesworth was President of theRoyal Entomological Society from 1963 to 1964 and theAssociation of Applied Biologists from 1966 to 1967. He was elected to theAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1960,[9] the United StatesNational Academy of Sciences in 1971,[10] and theAmerican Philosophical Society in 1982.[11]
He married Mable K Semple inSt Albans in 1922.[12] They had four children.[13]
ThebacteriumWigglesworthia glossinidia, which lives in the gut of thetsetse fly, is named for him.[14]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)"Insect physiology". 1934.| International | |
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