Marcello Malpighi

Malpighi, Marcello 

Born Mar. 10, 1628, in Crevalcore; died Nov. 30, 1694, in Rome. Italian biologist and physician. Fellow of the Royal Society of London.

Malpighi studied at the University of Bologna, receiving his degree as M.D. there in 1653. He was a professor at the university from 1656 to 1691. Malpighi was one of the founders of plant and animal microscopic anatomy. Using a microscope that magnified up to 180 times, he studied plant anatomy, described the cellular structure of plants (although he did not understand its meaning), discovered the tracheae, established the presence of ascending and descending currents of matter, and discussed the role of leaves in the nutrition of plants. Malpighi described the lymphoid corpuscles of the spleen (Malpighian corpuscles); the renal glomeruli (Malpighian glomeruli); the excretory organs of Arachnida, Myriopoda, and Insecta (Malpighian tubules); the deep layer of the skin (Malpighian layer); blood cells; the alveoli of the lungs; and the taste buds of the tongue. He also discovered capillary circulation.

WORKS

Opera omnia, vols. 1-2. London, 1687.
Opera posthuma …. London, 1697.

REFERENCES

Lunkevich, V. V. Ot Geraklita do Darvina, 2nd ed., vol. 1. Moscow, 1960. Pages 352-67.
Cardini, M. La vita e l’opera di Marcello Malpighi. Rome [1927].

D. V. LEBEDEV