James Brontë Gatenby MA, PhD, DPhil, DSc lived from 10 October 1892 to 20 July 1960.
He was a zoologist who is notable for his work on the structure of cells and the Golgi bodies.

Background

Gatenby was born in Wanganui

Wanganui

Whanganui , also spelled Wanganui, is an urban area and district on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Manawatu-Wanganui region....

, New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

. He progressed from St. Patrick's College in Wellington to Jesus College, Oxford

Jesus College, Oxford

Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...

. In 1916, he graduated with a first-class degree in zoology. He remained at Oxford until 1919, first as a demonstrator in forest zoology and human embryology

Embryology

Embryology is a science which is about the development of an embryo from the fertilization of the ovum to the fetus stage...

, then as a lecturer in histology

Histology

Histology is the study of the microscopic anatomy of cells and tissues of plants and animals. It is performed by examining cells and tissues commonly by sectioning and staining; followed by examination under a light microscope or electron microscope...

 in 1917. In 1918 he became the senior demy of Magdalen College, Oxford

Magdalen College, Oxford

Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...

.

Gatenby left Oxford in 1919 for a post at University College, London. He was appointed there as the senior assistant in zoology and comparative anatomy

Comparative anatomy

Comparative anatomy is the study of similarities and differences in the anatomy of organisms. It is closely related to evolutionary biology and phylogeny .-Description:...

. In 1920, he was made a lecturer in cytology

Cell biology

Cell biology is a scientific discipline that studies cells – their physiological properties, their structure, the organelles they contain, interactions with their environment, their life cycle, division and death. This is done both on a microscopic and molecular level...

. In 1921, he moved to Trinity College, Dublin

Trinity College, Dublin

Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...

 He was appointed professor of zoology and comparative anatomy at Trinity College, Dublin, in 1921. He became the professor of cytology. In 1922, Gatenby married Enid (Molly) Meade and they had four children, including the Medical Director of the UN, Peter Gatenby

Peter Gatenby (doctor)

Peter Bronte Gatenby is an Irish former doctor, Medical Director for the United Nations and Professor of Medicine at Trinity College, Dublin...

. After Molly's death in 1950, he married Constance Harris.

His work

Gatenby produced original research on many insects and the structure of their cells. His most important work was studying Golgi bodies in various animals, including humans.