PDF herunterladen
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Arq Neuropsiquiatr 2021; 79(04): 346-349
DOI: 10.1590/0004-282X-ANP-2020-0309
HISTORICAL NOTES

Marcello Malpighi: the nervous system under a microscope

Marcello Malpighi: o sistema nervoso sob um microscópio
Eliasz ENGELHARDT 
1   Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Neurologia Deolindo Couto, Setor de Neurologia Cognitiva e do Comportamento, Rio de Janeiro RJ, Brazil.
2   Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Psiquiatria, Centro de Doenças de Alzheimer e Outras Desordens Mentais na Velhice, Rio de Janeiro RJ, Brazil.
› Institutsangaben
› Weitere Informationen
Auch verfügbar auf
   Lizenzen und Reprints

ABSTRACT

The longstanding study of gross anatomy experienced a considerable improvement with the advent of the microscope in the early 17th century. The representative personality of this new era certainly was Marcello Malpighi, seen as “founder of microscopic anatomy”. He studied, with a rudimentary compound microscope, numerous tissues and organs of several classes of animals, as well as plants. He described, for the first time, the microscopic structure of the nervous system, identifying in the gray matter of its various levels minute elements he took as “glands”. It should be reminded that the concept of “cell” (and “nerve cell”) was unknown at his time. Many researchers followed, performing microscopic studies, but without better results, and Malpighi’s view was maintained until the beginning of the 19th century, when new histological processing and staining techniques appeared, as well as improved microscopes.

RESUMO

O estudo de longa data da anatomia macroscópica experimentou um incremento considerável com o advento do microscópio no início do século 17. A personalidade representativa dessa nova era foi, certamente, Marcello Malpighi, considerado “fundador da anatomia microscópica”. Ele estudou, com um microscópio composto rudimentar, numerosos tecidos e órgãos de diversas classes de animais, assim como plantas. Descreveu, pela primeira vez, a estrutura microscópica do sistema nervoso, identificando na substância cinzenta dos vários níveis elementos de minúsculas dimensões, que denominou “glândulas”. Deve-se lembrar que o conceito de “célula” (e de “célula nervosa”) era desconhecido naquele tempo. Muitos pesquisadores seguiram realizando estudos microscópicos, mas sem resultados melhores, e o entendimento de Malpighi foi mantido até o início do século 19, quando apareceram técnicas histológicas novas de processamento e de coloração, assim como microscópios mais aprimorados.

Keywords:

Microscopy - Nervous System - Cerebral Cortex

Palavras-chave:

Microscopia - Sistema Nervoso - Córtex Cerebral


Publikationsverlauf

Eingereicht: 27. Juni 2020

Angenommen: 17. September 2020

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
01. Juni 2023

© 2021. Academia Brasileira de Neurologia. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commecial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Thieme Revinter Publicações Ltda.
Rua do Matoso 170, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP 20270-135, Brazil

 

  • REFERENCES

  • 1 Gandolfo G, Deschaux O. Histoire de la découverte du cerveau et del’évolution des méthodes d’exploration: De la Préhistoire à nos jours. Biologie Géologie; 2010 [accessed on 2020 Jun 10]. Available at: Available at: https://hal.univ-cotedazur.fr/hal-01090539/document
  • 2 Stahnisch FW. On the use of animal experimentation in the history of neurology. In: Finger S, Boller F, Tyler KL, editors. Handbook of Clinical Neurology, Vol. 95 (3rd series). History of Neurology. New York (NY): Elsevier; 2010. p. 129-48.
  • 3 Chvátal A. Discovering the structure of nerve tissue: part 1: from Marcello Malpighi to Christian Berres. J Hist Neurosci. 2015 Feb;24(3):268-91. https://doi.org/10.1080/0964704x.2014.977676
  • 4 Ghosh SK, Kumar A. Marcello Malpighi (1628-1694): Pioneer of microscopic anatomy and exponent of the scientific revolution of the 17th Century. Eur J Anat. 2018 Sep;22 (5):433-9. ISSN 2340-311X.
  • 5 Motta PM. Marcello Malpighi and the foundations of functional microanatomy. Anat Rec. 1998 Feb;253(1):10-2. https://doi.org/10.1002/(sici)1097-0185(199802)253:1%3C10::aid-ar7%3E3.0.co;2-i
  • 6 Portal M. Histoire de l'anatomie et de la Chirurgie. Tome III. Paris (FR): P Fr Didot; 1770. p. 114-51. Available at: http://books.google.com
  • 7 Bresadola MA. Physician and a Man of Science: Patients, Physicians, and Diseases in Marcello Malpighi's Medical Practice. Bull Hist Med. 2011 Summer;85(2):193-221. https://doi.org/10.1353/bhm.2011.0048
  • 8 Malpighi M. Opera Omnia. London (EN): Robertum Scott; 1686. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.3931/e-rara-11162
  • 9 Malpighi M, Fracassati C. Tetras anatomicarum epistolarum de lingua, et cérebro. Bologna (IT): Victorij Benatij. 1665 [accessed on 2020 May 20]. Available at: Available at: https://download.digitale-sammlungen.de/pdf/15917277186682bsb11269146.pdf
  • 10 Meyer A. Marcello Malpighi and the Dawn of Neurohistology. J Neurol Sci. 1967 Mar-Apr; 4(2):185-93. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-510x(67)90098-6
  • 11 Malpighi M, Fracassati C. Epistolae anatomicae virorum clarissimorum Marcelli Malpighij et Caroli Fracassati quarum contenta pagina versa exhibet. Amsterdam (NL): Casparum Commelinum; 1669 [accessed on 2020 Jun 16]. Available at: Available at: http://www.internetculturale.it
  • 12 Malpighi M. De viscerum structura exercitatio anatomica. Bologna (IT): Ex typographia Jacobi Montij; 1666 [accessed on 2020 Jun 07]. Available at: Available at: http://books.google.com
  • 13 Clarke E, Bearn JG. The brain “glands” of Malpighi elucidated by practical history. J Hist Med Allied Sci. 1968 Oct;23(4):309-30. https://doi.org/10.1093/jhmas/xxiii.4.309
  • 14 Malpighi M. Discours anatomiques sur la structure des viscères, sçavoir du foye, du cerveau, des reins, de la ratte, du polype du coeur, et des poulmons. M Sauvalle trad. 2eme ed. Paris (FR): Laurent d'Houry; 1687 [accessed on 2020 Jun 12]. Available at: Available at: https://www.biusante.parisdescartes.fr/histoire/medica/resultats/index.php
  • 15 Bidloo G. Anatomia humani corporis, centum & quinque tabulis, per artificiossis. G de Lairesse ad vivum delineatis, demonstrata, veterum recentiorumque inventis explicata plurimisque, hactenus non detectis, illustrata. Amsterdam (NL): Sumptibus viduae Joannis à Someren; 1685 [accessed on 2020 May 16]. Available at: Available at: https://ia801309.us.archive.org/8/items/gri_33125008642049/gri_33125008642049.pdf
  • 16 Willis T. Cerebri anatome, cui accessit nervorum descriptio et usus. Tho. Roycroft, London (EN): Jo. Martyn & Ja. Allestry; 1664. Available at: http://books.google.com
  • 17 Chvátal A. Discovering the Structure of Nerve Tissue: Part 2: Gabriel Valentin, Robert Remak, and Jan Evangelista Purkyně. J Hist Neurosci. 2015 Feb;24(4):326-51. https://doi.org/10.1080/0964704x.2014.977677
  • 18 North AJ. Seeing is believing? A beginners' guide to practical pitfalls in image acquisition. J Cell Biol. 2006 Jan;172(1):9-18. https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.200507103