Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How did Marcello Malpighi demonstrate the existence of capillaries?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Morphology
Common leaf morphologies.
Marcello Malpighi demonstrated the existence of capillaries in 1661 by using a primitive microscope to observe the lungs of a frog.21
Through these observations, he identified and described the network of tiny blood vessels that connect small arteries to small veins. This discovery provided the essential missing link in William Harveyâs theory of blood circulation, confirming that blood does not simply transform into flesh in the peripheryâas ancient medical teachings had previously suggestedâbut instead passes through a continuous vascular system.21