Rebeca Gerschman (June 19, 1903 – April 4, 1986) was an Argentinian

biologist A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual Cell (biology), cell, a multicellular organism, or a Community (ecology), community of Biological inter ...

and

physiologist Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical a ...

who received a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Pharmacy from the

University of Buenos Aires The University of Buenos Aires ( es, Universidad de Buenos Aires, UBA) is a public university, public research university in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Established in 1821, it is the premier institution of higher learning in the country and one o ...

. Known for her advances in the field of

biochemistry Biochemistry or biological chemistry is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology and ...

, she was the first scientist to propose—in 1954—that free radicals contributed to

oxygen toxicity Oxygen toxicity is a condition resulting from the harmful effects of breathing molecular oxygen () at increased partial pressures. Severe cases can result in cell damage and death, with effects most often seen in the central nervous system, lu ...

and cell aging and death.Barassi, L. M. (2010, March 1). GERSCHMAN Rebeca - Personaje recordado del mes: Marzo 2010. Ciencia Argentina en la vidriera " GERSCHMAN Rebeca – Personaje recordado del mes: Marzo 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20131004233807/http:/www.cienciaenlavidriera.com.ar/2010/03/01/gerschman-rebeca-personaje-recordado-del-mes-marzo-2010/. After receiving two successive degrees in biochemistry and

pharmacy Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it links heal ...

, she achieved her Ph.D. in 1937. Her thesis was about the determination of potassium in plasma. Following her Ph.D., she began researching at the

University of Rochester The University of Rochester (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The University of Roc ...

and published her famous paper on oxygen poisoning. She was the first to suggest that oxygen free radicals caused cell death and aging. After years of researching, Gerschman returned to the University of Buenos Aires and began teaching in the Physiology Department. She retired at the age of 77 from teaching and died several years later in 1986 from

aplastic anemia Aplastic anemia is a cancer in which the body fails to make blood cells in sufficient numbers. Blood cells are produced in the bone marrow by stem cells that reside there. Aplastic anemia causes a deficiency of all blood cell types: red blood ...

Early life and education

Born to a wealthy ranching family in Carlos Casares, Argentina, Rebeca was able to attend school at a young age. When she was old enough, she attended the University of Buenos Aires and received two degrees in Pharmacy and Biochemistry. Following her undergraduate degrees, she began her Ph.D. under the

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is awarded yearly by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute for outstanding discoveries in physiology or medicine. The Nobel Prize is not a single prize, but five separate prizes that, accord ...

recipient Bernardo Houssay. She completed her Ph.D. in 1937 about the determination of potassium in plasma. She worked with Agustín D. Marenzi to establish the Gerschman-Marenzi Method used for studying blood potassium levels and concentrations.

Post doctorate

After completing her Ph.D., she moved to New York and began working at the University of Rochester in Wallace O. Fenn's Department of Physiology. The research she conducted at the University of Rochester was a continuation of her Ph.D. work on blood potassium until she changed her studies to the physiological effects of respiratory gases on rabbits. Her work at the University of Rochester was partially related to post World War 2 military medicine. In 1953 she wrote her famous paper, “Oxygen poisoning and x-radiation: a mechanism in common”, however, it was not widely accepted in the science community because it opposed the scientific literature and views of the time. Gerschman was the first scientist to propose in 1954, that a toxic oxygen free radical reaction occurred in cells causing them to age and die. The Gerschman Theory about the relationship of oxygen to aging and diseases was not accepted until 1969 due to the work of McCord and Fridovich on

superoxide dismutase Superoxide dismutase (SOD, ) is an enzyme that alternately catalyzes the dismutation (or partitioning) of the superoxide () radical into ordinary molecular oxygen (O2) and hydrogen peroxide (). Superoxide is produced as a by-product of oxygen me ...

enzymes which confirmed her theory.

Teaching

In 1959, she was appointed a professor of Physiology at the new school of Pharmacy and Biochemistry at the University of Buenos Aires and moved back to Argentina. Gerschman was considered an unconventional teacher at the University of Buenos Aires because she used scientific cinema to visually show students topics and invited people from topic fields to speak in person. In 1970, she was awarded the consulting professor position and retired from the University of Buenos Aires in 1980 at 77 years old.

Later life

Gerschman became a huge advocate for women’s rights in the scientific field because of her experiences. In the 1980s, Gerschman was considered for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, sadly she did not receive the award because she was not able to participate in the interviews.Trombeta, A. (2011). Rebeca Gerschman. http://www.neglectedscience.com/alphabetical-list/g/rebeca-gerschman. After years of being ill with aplastic anemia, Gerschman died on April 4, 1986, at the age of 82.

Awards

In her honor there is the Rebeca Gerschman Award.

Notable citations

*Gerschman, R. (1954). Oxygen poisoning and x-irradiation: a mechanism in common. In Glutathione (pp. 288–291). Academic Press. *Gerschman, R., Gilbert, D. L., & Caccamise, D. (1958). Effect of various substances on survival times of mice exposed to different high oxygen tensions. American Journal of Physiology. Legacy Content, 192(3), 563-571. *Fenn, W. O., & Gerschman, R. (1950). The loss of potassium from frog nerves in anoxia and other conditions. The Journal of general physiology, 33(3), 195. *Gerschman, R., & Fenn, W. O. (1953). Ascorbic acid content of adrenal glands of rat in oxygen poisoning. American Journal of Physiology. Legacy Content, 176(1), 6-8. *Gerschman, R., Gilbert, D. L., Nye, S. W., Nadig, P. W., & Fenn, W. O. (1954). Role of adrenalectomy and adrenal-cortical hormones in oxygen poisoning. American Journal of Physiology. Legacy Content, 178(2), 346-350.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gerschman, Rebeca 1903 births 1986 deaths Argentine Jews Argentine biologists Argentine physiologists