Giovanni Alfonso Borelli

Giovanni Alfonso Borelli
Born	(1608-01-28)28 January 1608 Naples, Italy
Died	31 December 1679(1679-12-31) (aged 71) Rome, Italy
Burial place	San Pantaleo, Rome
Nationality	Italian
Alma mater	Sapienza University of Rome
Scientific career
Fields	Physiologist, physicist, mathematician
Academic advisors	Benedetto Castelli
Notable students	Marcello Malpighi

Giovanni Alfonso Borelli (Italian pronunciation: [dʒoˈvanni alˈfɔnso boˈrɛlli]; 28 January 1608 – 31 December 1679) was a Renaissance Italian physiologist, physicist, and mathematician who is often described as the father of biomechanics.^[1] He contributed to the modern principle of scientific investigation by continuing Galileo's practice of testing hypotheses against observation. Trained in mathematics, Borelli also made extensive studies of Jupiter's moons, the mechanics of animal locomotion and, in microscopy, of the constituents of blood. He also used microscopy to investigate the stomatal movement of plants, and undertook studies in medicine and geology. During his career, he enjoyed the patronage of Queen Christina of Sweden. He was the first scientist to explain that animal and human bodily movements are caused by muscular contractions.^[2]