Regnier de Graaf, original Dutch spelling Reinier de Graaf, or Latinized Reijnerus de Graeff, was a Dutch physician, physiologist and anatomist who made key discoveries in reproductive biology. He specialized in iatrochemistry and iatrogenesis, and was the first to develop a syringe to inject dye into human reproductive organs so that he could understand their structure and function.
Portrait photo
Anatomical theater in Delft. Drawing by J.v.d.Star 1776 - Delft
Old Church in Delft by Hendrick Cornelisz. van Vliet
The Ovary by Reinier de Graaf
Jan or Johannes Swammerdam was a Dutch biologist and microscopist. His work on insects demonstrated that the various phases during the life of an insect—egg, larva, pupa, and adult—are different forms of the same animal. As part of his anatomical research, he carried out experiments on muscle contraction. In 1658, he was the first to observe and describe red blood cells. He was one of the first people to use the microscope in dissections, and his techniques remained useful for hundreds of years.
A 19th-century fantasy portrait, based on the face of Hartman Hartmanzoon from Rembrandt's The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp. No genuine portrait is known.
Oudeschans, drawing by Jan de Beijer
Illustration of a mosquito from Historia
Bybel der Natuure, 1693