Galvani, Luigi
Published: September 6, 2006, 8:57 pm
Updated: September 6, 2006, 8:57 pm
This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor:
Tom Lawrence
Luigi Galvani (1737-1798), an Italian anatomist who discovered the relationship between electricity and animation in 1771. While dissecting a frog at a table where he had been conducting experiments with static electricity, Galvani touched an exposed sciatic nerve of the frog with his metal scalpel, which had picked up a charge. At that moment, he saw the dead frog's leg kick as if it were alive. He concluded that the twitching was evidence for the existence of "animal electricity", a theory later proved false by Volta. Nonetheless, Galvani had discovered the electrical nature of the nerve-muscle function, thus establishing the basis for the biological study of neurophysiology and neurology. Galvani's name survives in the Galvanic cell, the galvanometer, and in the word "galvanize".
Further Reading
Electrochemistry: Galvanic Cells (ThinkQuest Library)
Galvanometers (Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Institute of Chemistry)
Spotlight on Neuroscience: Luigi Galvani (NASA's Neurolab)
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Citation
Cutler J. Cleveland (Lead Author);Tom Lawrence (Topic Editor) "Galvani, Luigi". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth September 6, 2006; Last revised Date September 6, 2006; Retrieved May 22, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Galvani,_Luigi>
The Author
Cutler J. Cleveland is Professor of Earth and Environment at Boston University, where he also is on the faculty of the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies. Professor Cleveland is Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Energy (Elsevier, 2004), winner of an American Library Association award, the Dictionary of Energy (Elsevier, 2005), Handbook of Energy (Elsevier, forthcoming), and is the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Earth. He is the recipient of the Adelma ... (Full Bio)
Luigi Galvani (1737-1798), an Italian anatomist who discovered the relationship between electricity and animation in 1771. While dissecting a frog at a table where he had been conducting experiments with static electricity, Galvani touched an exposed sciatic nerve of the frog with his metal scalpel, which had picked up a charge. At that moment, he saw the dead frog's leg kick as if it were alive. He concluded that the twitching was evidence for the existence of "animal electricity", a theory later proved false by Volta. Nonetheless, Galvani had discovered the electrical nature of the nerve-muscle function, thus establishing the basis for the biological study of neurophysiology and neurology. Galvani's name survives in the Galvanic cell, the galvanometer, and in the word "galvanize".
Further Reading
Electrochemistry: Galvanic Cells (ThinkQuest Library)
Galvanometers (Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Institute of Chemistry)
Spotlight on Neuroscience: Luigi Galvani (NASA's Neurolab)
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