Santiago Ramón y Cajal

Hello, my name is Santiago. When I was a little boy, I loved to draw. I would draw pictures of everything I saw around me, from the birds in the trees to the flowers in the garden. Making pictures was my favorite thing to do, and I spent many happy hours with my pencils and paper, creating art about the world.

When I grew up, I became a scientist but I still loved to draw. I got a special tool called a microscope. A microscope is amazing because it lets you see things that are too tiny for your eyes to see all by themselves. I used my microscope to peek inside the brain. What I saw in there was incredible. There were patterns that looked just like tiny little trees with lots of tangled branches.

I just had to draw what I saw. I drew all of those little 'brain trees,' which scientists call neurons. My drawings showed how all the tiny branches from one neuron reached out and connected to the branches of other neurons. These drawings became the first 'maps' of the brain. They helped other people understand how these little parts send messages that help us think, feel, and move our bodies every single day.

I lived to be 82 years old. My drawings are still very important today, and they help people learn all about the brain. I am happy that I am remembered as an artist who was also a great scientist. My pictures show that art can help us understand the world in a whole new way.