Ernst and Berta Scharrer - Pioneers in Neuroendocrinology

This book contains the contributions to a symposium dedicated to the memory of Ernst and Berta Scharrer, two eminent scientists whose discoveries marked the advent of a new discipline in neurosciences - namely, neuroendocrinology. I remember them with deep gratitude as my highly esteemed scientific mentors. The ingenious scientific work of Ernst and Berta Scharrer reflects an unusual perception into the basis of natural science and is evidence for two exceptional personalities. Curiosity, imagination, and persistence were prerequisites for their highly revolutionary investigations. The concept of neurosecretion developed by Ernst and Berta Scharrer between 1928 and 1937, and later extended in close cooperation with Wolfgang Bargmann, forms the foundation for contemporary neuroendocrinology, particularly the concept of peptidergic neurons in vertebrates and invertebrates.