Rita Levi-Montalcini

Hello! My name is Rita Levi-Montalcini. When I was a little girl, I loved to ask questions. I always wanted to know how everything worked. I especially loved learning how tiny little animals grew. My mind was always buzzing with ideas, like a busy little bee.

When I grew up, there were big problems in the world. This meant I could not go to a real science lab to work. But that did not stop me. I made my very own tiny lab right in my bedroom. I used sewing needles to help me look at teeny-tiny baby chickens, which are called embryos. I looked at them through my microscope and watched them grow. It was my own special world of discovery.

While I was watching the little embryos, I found something amazing. I discovered a special message inside our bodies. This message tells our nerves how to grow big and strong. It is like a secret helper that makes sure all the little wires inside you connect in the right way. My discovery was called Nerve Growth Factor. It was a very big deal for science.

I lived to be 103 years old, and I never stopped being curious. People remember me because my discovery helps doctors understand how our bodies heal and grow. I showed everyone that even if you have to work in a tiny bedroom, you can still make big discoveries that help the whole world.