| Vincent Wigglesworth | |
|---|---|
Vincent Wigglesworth
|
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| Born | 17 April 1899 |
| Died | 11 February 1994 |
| Nationality | British |
| Fields | entomologist |
| Institutions | University of Cambridge |
| Known for | metamorphosis |
| Notable awards | Fellow of the Royal Society |
Sir Vincent Brian Wigglesworth FRS[1] (17 April 1899 – 11 February 1994) was a British entomologist who made significant contributions to the field of insect physiology.[2][3]
In particular, he studied metamorphosis. His most significant contribution was the discovery that neurosecretory cells in the brain of the South American kissing bug, Rhodnius prolixus, secrete a crucial growth hormone, prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH), which regulates the process of metamorphosis.[4] This was the first experimental confirmation of the function of neurosecretory cells. He went on to discover another hormone, called the juvenile hormone, which prevented the development of adult characteristics in R. prolixus until the insect had reached the appropriate larval stage. 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's genome can selectively activate hormones which determine its development and morphology.
Wigglesworth served in the military in France in World War I. He received his degree from the University of Cambridge and lectured at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the University of London, and finally at the University of Cambridge.
He was named Quick Professor of Biology at the University of Cambridge in 1952, and knighted in 1964.
The bacterium Wigglesworthia glossinidia is named for him.[5]
1. Aksoy, S. 1995. Wigglesworthia gen. nov. and Wigglesworthia glossinidia sp. nov., Taxa Consisting of the Mycetocyte-Associated, Primary Endosymbionts of Tsetse Flies INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC BACTERIOLOGY, Vol. 45, No. 4, p. 848-851