| MadSci Network: Science History |
Hi Kaci,
Ribosomes were first described in 1955 by George E. Palade, using electron microscopy. Palade was an early pioneer in the use of the electron microscope to investigate the internal structures of cells. In addition to discovering ribosomes (which were originally called Palade Granules), Palade was also the first person to describe the internal structure of mitochondria. For his ground- breaking work in cell biology, Palade shared the 1974 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Albert Claude and Christian de Duve.
Palade, G.E. (1955) A small particulate component of the cytoplasm. J. Biophys. Biochem. Cytol. 1:59-68
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