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Articles from Britannica encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
- Marcello Malpighi - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
(1628-94). The Italian physician and biologist Marcello Malpighi founded the sciences of microscopic anatomy and histology. For more than 40 years he used microscopes of his own making to study and describe animal tissue. Through these lenses he was able to see the specific subdivisions of such organs as the liver, spleen, brain, and kidney. His research provided a foundation for later advances in physiology, embryology, and practical medicine. During his lifetime, however, he was caught in a conflict between ancient and modern medicine. The envy of his colleagues led, in 1684, to the destruction of his home, papers, books, and apparatuses.