Marcello Malpighi (1628-1694) - Journal of the Association of

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Journal of the association of physicians of india • vol 63 • march, 2015
Marcello Malpighi (1628-1694)
JV Pai-Dhungat*, Falguni Parikh*
Marcello Malpighi-Italy, 1978
Capillary network depicted on Nobel miniature sheet
M
alpighi is known as father of Microscopical
anatomy. One of the earliest histologist,
he described for the first time, minute structure
of scores of organs and tissues of the body. It
can be said that he lighted a torch of knowledge
that has never been extinguished and continues
to advance even today.
Born near Bologna, he studied at the famous
University and qualified in medicine at the
age of 23. Within three years, he obtained
professorship at his own University. Soon,
he was invited to fill the chair of Physics at
Pisa. The climate of Pisa affected his health
adversely, so after three years, he returned to
Bologna, where he remained until 1691, when
he became Physician in chief at the Papal court
in Rome.
Dept. of Medicine, TN Medical
College & BYL Nair Ch. Hospital,
Mumbai 400 008.
*
Malpighi described terminal glomerular
plexus and a network of blood vessels around
the commencement of the uriniferous tubules
in the kidneys, later named Malpighian
bodies. The corpuscles of spleen, which
were described by him, are still known as
Malpighian corpuscles. He also described the
bronchial tree and vesicular nature of tissues in
lungs. It was he who proved that the papillae
of the tongue are organs of taste.
Marcello spotted the all-important
capillaries, completing Harvey's discovery
of blood circulation in 1680. Undoubtedly, he
saw blood corpuscles - "fat globules like rosary
red coral" Leeuwenhoek had observed and
described the same with more care and details
earlier but he lacked education and scientific
background for proper interpretation. Marcello
was the first to describe the structure of liver
correctly and named the lobuli "acini" The deep
layer of epidermis, first described by him as
pigment skin is since known as the Malpighian
layer. The structure of lymphatic glands was
also described. Indeed there is hardly a tissue
in the body, which escaped the microscopical
scrutiny of his keen eye.
Malpighi's work was recognised early in
England. He was elected Fellow of the Royal
Society in 1667 and in 1687, a complete edition
of his writings was published in London. This
master's work is all the more amazing when
it is realised that he had only a primitive
microscope at his disposal.