Angelo Ruffini

Angelo Ruffini (Pretare of Arquata del Tronto,1864 – 1929) was an Italian histologist and embryologist.

He studied medicine at the University of Bologna, where beginning in 1894 he taught classes in histology. In 1903 he attained the chair of embryology at the University of Siena.

He was the first to describe small encapsulated nerve endings (mechanoreceptors) which were to become known as Ruffini corpuscles. He used a gold chloride stain on his microscope slides in order for to view the tiny corpuscles..

Ruffini was a pioneer in the study of amphibian gastrulation, providing a comprehensive and detailed description on the formation of "bottle cells". He published these findings in a book titled Fisiogenia (1925).

References

• Storia delle Neuroscienze in Italia (translated biography)
• [2] Amphibian gastrulation: history and evolution of a 125 year-old concept