Giulio Bizzozero (; 20 March 1846 – 8 April 1901) was an Italian doctor and medical researcher. He was a pioneer of histology and is credited with the coining of the term platelets and identifying their function in coagulation.

Background

Bizzozero was born in Varese,

Lombardy The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...

, at the time part of the

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a Multinational state, multinational European Great Powers, great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the Habsburg monarchy, realms of the Habsburgs. Duri ...

, to Felice and Carolina Veratti. The family were involved in the Risorgimento, an older brother Cesare fought against Austria while Carolina served as a volunteer nurse. After high school, he studied medicine at the

University of Pavia The University of Pavia (, UNIPV or ''Università di Pavia''; ) is a university located in Pavia, Lombardy, Italy. There was evidence of teaching as early as 1361, making it one of the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest un ...

, where he performed histological and histopathological research under the guidance of Paolo Mantegazza (1831-1910) and the microscopist Eusebio Oehl. In 1866 he graduated from Pavia at the age of 20. He then travelled and worked with Rudolf Virchow in Berlin and

Heinrich Frey Heinrich Frey (June 15, 1822 – January 17, 1890) was a German-born Swiss entomologist who studied Lepidoptera. Biography Heinrich Frey was born on June 15, 1822 in Frankfurt. He attended the gymnasium in Frankfurt until he was 16. Here h ...

in Zurich. In 1867, he was chosen as the chief of general pathology and histology at the University of Pavia. This institute trained many important Italian researchers, such as Camillo Golgi (1843–1926). In 1872, at the age of 26, he moved to the University of Turin, and founded the Institute of General Pathology. While at Turin he worked to improve hygiene and water supply. Among the physicians who worked and studied in his laboratory at Turin were Edoardo Bassini (1844-1924) and Carlo Forlanini (1847-1918). In April 1901, he died of pneumonia. For his scientific achievements, Bizzozero was named by king Humbert I, a life senator in 1890.

Achievements

Bizzozero was one of the pioneers of

histology Histology, also known as microscopic anatomy or microanatomy, is the branch of biology that studies the microscopic anatomy of biological tissue (biology), tissues. Histology is the microscopic counterpart to gross anatomy, which looks at large ...

, and, more generally, the use of the

microscope A microscope () is a laboratory equipment, laboratory instrument used to examine objects that are too small to be seen by the naked eye. Microscopy is the science of investigating small objects and structures using a microscope. Microscopic ...

in medical research. He is known for his early description of '' Helicobacter pylori'' ( 1892), the

bacteria Bacteria (; : bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one Cell (biology), biological cell. They constitute a large domain (biology), domain of Prokaryote, prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micr ...

that is responsible for peptic ulcer disease (although this fact was not generally accepted until the 1990s). In 1869 he noted the value of blood transfusions in treating anemia. In 1881 he described platelets as a third element in blood after the erythrocytes and leucocytes. Platelets had been described by Max Schultze in 1865 but Bizzozero identified their function. He called them petit plaques (Italian), plaquettes (French) and Blutplattchenin (German). He demonstrated their role in clotting through aggregation and clumping with the formation of thread like structures now known as fibrin. Other significant work by Bizzozero included research of haematopoiesis in the bone marrow, studies involving

phagocytosis Phagocytosis () is the process by which a cell (biology), cell uses its plasma membrane to engulf a large particle (≥ 0.5 μm), giving rise to an internal compartment called the phagosome. It is one type of endocytosis. A cell that performs ph ...

in the eye, and the identification of desmosomes (nodes of Bizzozero), structures that he first discovered in the stratum spinosum of epidermis.>Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol >v.1(2); Aug 2009 > , The Desmosome

References

Sources

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External links

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A brief biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bizzozero, Giulio 1846 births 1901 deaths University of Pavia alumni Academic staff of the University of Pavia Academic staff of the University of Turin People from Varese Italian anatomists Members of the Senate of the Kingdom of Italy Italian pathologists Deaths from pneumonia in Piedmont Histologists Hygienists

Background

Achievements

See also

References

Sources

External links