Exercitatio anatomica de structura et usu renum

work by Bellini

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June 26, 2026

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Exercitatio anatomica de structura et usu renum (1662), meaning "Anatomical Exercise on the Structure and Function of the Kidney," is a significant work by Lorenzo Bellini. Published when Bellini was only 19, this treatise was the first to demonstrate that the kidney is composed of a vast number of minute canals. These tubules are now known as Bellini's ducts. Bellini's research was foundational in understanding the kidney's structure and function, contributing to the field of anatomy and physiology by emphasizing the importance of physical principles in explaining biological processes.1

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Lorenzo Bellini
In Exercitatio anatomica de structura et usu renum (1662; “Anatomical Exercise on the Structure and Function of the Kidney”), published when he was a 19-year-old student at the University of Pisa, Bellini showed for the first time that the kidney consists of an immense number of…
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In Exercitatio anatomica de structura et usu renum (1662; “Anatomical Exercise on the Structure and Function of the Kidney”), published when he was a 19-year-old student at the University of Pisa, Bellini showed for the first time that the kidney consists of an immense number of…
Read More