Angelo Ruffini (Pretare of
Arquata del Tronto
Arquata del Tronto is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Ascoli Piceno in the Marche region of Italy, located about from Ancona. It is the only European municipality located partly within two natural parks: Gran Sasso e Monti della Lag ...
; 1864–1929) was an Italian
histologist
Histology,
also known as microscopic anatomy or microanatomy, is the branch of biology which studies the microscopic anatomy of biological tissues. Histology is the microscopic counterpart to gross anatomy, which looks at larger structures vis ...
and
embryologist
Embryology (from Greek ἔμβρυον, ''embryon'', "the unborn, embryo"; and -λογία, '' -logia'') is the branch of animal biology that studies the prenatal development of gametes (sex cells), fertilization, and development of embryos and ...
.
He studied medicine at the
University of Bologna
The University of Bologna ( it, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, UNIBO) is a public research university in Bologna, Italy. Founded in 1088 by an organised guild of students (''studiorum''), it is the oldest university in continuo ...
, where beginning in 1894 he taught classes in
histology
Histology,
also known as microscopic anatomy or microanatomy, is the branch of biology which studies the microscopic anatomy of biological tissues. Histology is the microscopic counterpart to gross anatomy, which looks at larger structures vis ...
. In 1903 he attained the chair of
embryology
Embryology (from Greek ἔμβρυον, ''embryon'', "the unborn, embryo"; and -λογία, '' -logia'') is the branch of animal biology that studies the prenatal development of gametes (sex cells), fertilization, and development of embryos and ...
at the
University of Siena
The University of Siena ( it, Università degli Studi di Siena, abbreviation: UNISI) in Siena, Tuscany, is one of the oldest and first publicly funded universities in Italy. Originally called ''Studium Senese'', the institution was founded in 1240 ...
.
He was the first to describe small encapsulated nerve endings (
mechanoreceptor
A mechanoreceptor, also called mechanoceptor, is a sensory receptor that responds to mechanical pressure or distortion. Mechanoreceptors are innervated by sensory neurons that convert mechanical pressure into electrical signals that, in animals, ...
s) which were to become known as
Ruffini corpuscles
The Bulbous corpuscle or Ruffini ending or Ruffini corpuscle is a slowly adapting mechanoreceptor located in the cutaneous tissue between the dermal papillae and the hypodermis. It is named after Angelo Ruffini
Angelo Ruffini (Pretare of Arquat ...
. He used a
gold chloride Gold chloride can refer to:
* Gold(I) chloride (gold monochloride), AuCl
* Gold(I,III) chloride (gold dichloride, tetragold octachloride), Au4Cl8
* Gold(III) chloride (gold trichloride, digold hexachloride), Au2Cl6
* Chloroauric acid
Chloroauric ...
stain on his
microscope slide
A microscope slide is a thin flat piece of glass, typically 75 by 26 mm (3 by 1 inches) and about 1 mm thick, used to hold objects for examination under a microscope. Typically the object is mounted (secured) on the slide, and then b ...
s in order for to view the tiny corpuscles.
Ruffini was a pioneer in the study of
amphibian
Amphibians are tetrapod, four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the Class (biology), class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terres ...
gastrulation
Gastrulation is the stage in the early embryonic development of most animals, during which the blastula (a single-layered hollow sphere of cells), or in mammals the blastocyst is reorganized into a multilayered structure known as the gastrula. Be ...
, providing a comprehensive and detailed description on the formation of "bottle cells". He published these findings in a book titled ''Fisiogenia'' (1925).
Relationship with Sir Charles Sherrington
Between 1896 and 1903, Ruffini corresponded regularly with
Sir Charles Sherrington
Sir Charles Scott Sherrington (27 November 1857 – 4 March 1952) was an eminent English neurophysiologist. His experimental research established many aspects of contemporary neuroscience, including the concept of the spinal reflex as a system ...
. This relationship evolved after Ruffini sent copies of his papers on muscle nerve endings to Sherrington. Ruffini also sent Sherrington eleven slides of
'Organi nervosi'available online and Sherrington was instrumental in getting Ruffini's work published in the Journal of Physiology.
[Molnár Z, Brown RE., 2010. Insights into the life and work of Sir Charles Sherrington. Nat Rev Neurosci. 11(6):429-36]
References
(translated biography)
*
ttp://www.ijdb.ehu.es/ft771.pdfAmphibian gastrulation: history and evolution of a 125-year-old concept
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruffini, Angelo
1864 births
1929 deaths
Italian anatomists
Embryologists
University of Bologna alumni
University of Siena faculty