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Giovanni Alfonso Borelli

Giovanni Alfonso Borelli

1608 CE1679 CE · Naples

Giovanni Alfonso Borelli (Italian: [dʒoˈvanni alˈfɔnso boˈrɛlli]; 28 January 1608 – 31 December 1679) was a Renaissance Italian physiologist, physicist, and mathematician who is often described as the father of biomechanics. He contributed to the modern principle of scientific investigation by continuing Galileo's practice of testing hypotheses against observation. Trained in mathematics, Borelli also made extensive studies of Jupiter's moons, the mechanics of animal locomotion and, in microscopy, of the constituents of blood. He also used microscopy to investigate the stomatal movement of plants, and undertook studies in medicine and geology. During his career, he enjoyed the patronage of Queen Christina of Sweden. He was the first scientist to explain that animal and human bodily movements are caused by muscular contractions.

Adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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NaplesנאפוליItaly

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Don Isaac Abarbanel's residence after fleeing Spain; major Italian-Sephardi hub.

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Giovanni Alfonso BorelliShapedMarcello Malpighi
Related figuresHerman BoerhaaveSuggested by shared subject matter, not a documented teaching relationship.