biology

Paul Saltman

Paul Saltman is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Paul Saltman rather than just read about it. In short: Paul Saltman (April 11, 1928 – August 27, 1999) was an American biologist who was Professor of Biology at the University of California, San Diego, for more than three decades, and an internationally renowned nutrition expert. He received a B.S. in chemistry (1949) and Ph.D. in biochemistry (1953) from the California Institute of Technology.

Key takeaways

Paul Saltman belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Paul Saltman to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Paul Saltman from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Paul Saltman (April 11, 1928 – August 27, 1999) was an American biologist who was Professor of Biology at the University of California, San Diego, for more than three decades, and an internationally renowned nutrition expert. He received a B.S. in chemistry (1949) and Ph.D. in biochemistry (1953) from the California Institute of Technology. He commenced employment at the Keck School of Medicine at USC, until 1967, when he accepted the position of provost of Revelle College at the University of California, San Diego, "to bring undergraduate education to the same high level of academic excellence that marks the graduate program at the heavily science-oriented college." In 1972 Saltman was appointed Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. In 1980, he returned to full-time research and teaching at UCSD. After his death, from prostate cancer in 1999, the Paul D. Saltman Endowed Chair in Science Education was established by UCSD to recognize a distinguished senior member of Biological Sciences faculty for his/her commitment to, and success in teaching science. Saltman was married to Barbara Saltman for over 50 years, and is survived by sons David and Joshua, and five grandchildren.

Contributions to nutritional science Saltman's research focused on the chemistry, biochemistry and nutritional role of trace metals such as iron, copper, zinc and manganese. His approach to nutritional science made the point that it is an exact science, and can be accurately measured and tested. He often clearly differentiated between the concept of eating food, about which he noted: "food is not in itself a science, it is a sensual experience required for survival", and nutrition. Nutritional requirements, he maintained, could in theory be provided with total parenteral nutrition. "With TPN feeding all of the nutrients that a human being needs, from the time of infancy to the latter years, one can be maintained alive and well and growing without ever eating a morsel of food or drinking a drop of liquid." His discoveries allowed for improvements in dietary and supplement strategies to prevent anemia, enhance physical performance and decrease the chance of heart disease. Clinical applications of his research included reduction of free radical damage to hearts, prevention of anemia, enhanced physical performance, and better bone and skeletal metabolism. His findings were of interest to the food industry and he was a consultant to Procter and Gamble, Mars and other food manufacturers. His academic writings are able to be purchased from Chemical and Engineering News, and are also held in the Mandeville Special Collections Library. His 1985 lecture in the Leon Pape Memorial Lecture Series reflected his overall philosophy, and was titled "Science Is With People: A Tribute to Leon Pape". He was an advocate of eating all types of food, including red meat and occasional "junk food", while always stressing the importance of exercise and supplements. He wrote "The University of California San Diego Nutrition Book" as a popular science book for the layperson, and believed that science has a duty to assist and educate not only university students, but also the general public. He was "the antithesis of the ivory tower academic, and expanded his role as a teacher to include the public at large. He did a half-hour series called "Patterns of Life" for National Educational Television and a series for PBS." He was also considered an outstanding teacher, and an inspiration to his students. Robert C. Dynes, UCSD Chancellor wrote of him : " His love of learning, his enthusiasm for science, his communication skills, made him a role model for students and faculty alike. My tenure here has been enriched by knowing him—by his advice, his personal integrity, his passion for teaching and for life."

Personal life Saltman appeared as a contestant on the October 22, 1959, episode of Groucho Marx's TV quiz program You Bet Your Life. Saltman died from prostate cancer on August 27, 1999, at the age of 71.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Paul Saltman

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Paul Saltman claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Paul Saltman before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Paul Saltman ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Paul Saltman

In research: Paul Saltman appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Paul Saltman in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Paul Saltman is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1928 births, 1999 deaths, 20th-century American biologists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Paul Saltman outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Paul Saltman in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Paul Saltman means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Paul Saltman out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Paul Saltman in simple terms?

Why does Paul Saltman matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Paul Saltman?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Paul Saltman.