Malpighi, Marcello, << mahl PEE gee, mahr CHEHL loh >> (1628-1694), an Italian anatomist, physician, and botanist, became famous for his research on animal tissues and his mastery of the use of the microscope in his work. Malpighi made fundamental discoveries about human anatomy.
In 1659, Malpighi began to dissect the lungs of dogs and frogs. He examined the tissues under a microscope and discovered that lungs are made up of tiny air sacs, called alveoli. He also discovered that the veins connect to the arteries by microscopic blood vessels, called capillaries.
Malpighi was the first person to observe and describe red blood cells, though he did not understand their significance. He described the tiny structures of the liver, spleen, and kidneys, as well as some of their functions. Later, he provided the first full accounts of the body structures of insects and of developing chick embryos. Other research by Malpighi advanced understanding of the structure of plants.
Malpighi was born on March 10, 1628, in Crevalcore, near Bologna. He studied medicine and philosophy at the University of Bologna. Malpighi became a professor of medicine at the universities of Pisa, Bologna, and Messina. He later served as physician to Pope Innocent XII. Malpighi died on Nov. 29 or 30, 1694.
