Regnier de Graaf

Infobox Scientist
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birth_date = July 30, 1641
birth_place = Schoonhoven
death_date = August 17, 1673
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nationality = Dutch
ethnicity =
field = anatomist
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known_for = reproductive biology syringe ovarian follicle
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influences = Franciscus Sylvius
influenced =
prizes =
religion =
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Regnier de Graaf (July 30, 1641 – August 17, 1673) was a Dutch physician and anatomist who made key discoveries in reproductive biology. His first name is often spelled "Reinier" or "Reynier".

Biography

De Graaf was born in Schoonhoven. He studied medicine in Utrecht and Leiden. There his co-students were Jan Swammerdam, Niels Stensen and Frederik Ruysch, one of their professors was Franciscus Sylvius. (All of them were interested in the organs of procreation). He submitted his doctoral thesis on the pancreas, and went to France where he obtained his medical degree from the University of Angers. While in Paris, he also turned to the study of the male genitalia, which led to a publication in 1668. Back in the Netherlands in 1667, De Graaf established himself in Delft. Since he was a Catholic in a mainly Protestant country, he was unable to follow a university career. After the early death of a son, De Graaf died in 1673 at age 32 and was buried in the Oude Kerk in Delft. The reason for his death is unknown, he was, however, affected by his controversy with Swammerdam (v.i.) and the death of his son. Recent speculation that he may have committed suicide is entirely unfounded. A few months before his death De Graaf recommended, as a member of the Royal Society in London, that attention be paid to Antonie van Leeuwenhoek and his work on the improvement of the microscope.

Legacy

De Graaf's position in the history of reproduction is unique, summarising the work of anatomists before his time, but unable to benefit from the advances about to be made by microscopy, although he reported its use by Antonie van Leeuwenhoek in 1673. His personal contributions include the description of testicular tubules, the efferent ducts, corpora lutea and to describe the function of the Fallopian tubes and hydrosalpinx.De Graaf may have been the first to understand the reproductive function of the Fallopian tube, described the hydrosalpinx, linking its development to female infertility. [cite journal | author=Ankum WM, Houtzager HL, Bleker OP | title=Reinier De Graaf (1641-1673) and the Fallopian tube | journal=Human Reproduction Update 1996, Vol.2, No.4, pp.365-369] cite journal | url = http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4567037 | author = Regnier De Graaf | title = New Treatise Concerning the Generative Organs of Women. Reprinted as: Jocelyn HD, Setchell BP: Regnier de Graaf on the human reproductive organs. An annotated translation of Tractatus de Virorum Organis Generationi Inservientibus (1668) and De Mulierum Organis Generationi Inserventibus Tractatus Novus (1962) | journal = J Reprod Fertil Suppl. | year = 1972 | month = Dec | volume = 17 | pages = 1-222] De Graaf also invented a practical syringe, described in his third treatise.

Graafian follicles

His eponymous legacy are the Graafian (or ovarian) follicles. He himself pointed out that he was not the first to describe them, but described their development. From the observation of pregnancy in rabbits, he concluded that the follicle contained the oocyte, although he never observed it. The mature stage of the ovarian follicle is called the "Graafian follicle" in his honour, although others, including Fallopius, had noticed the follicles previously (but failed to recognize its reproductive significance). The term "Graafian follicle" followed the introduction of the term "ova Graafiana" by Albrecht von Haller who like De Graaf still assumed that the follicle was the oocyte itself, although De Graaf realised the ovum was much smaller. The discovery of the human egg was eventually made by Karl Ernst von Baer in 1827. De Graaf's contemporary Jan Swammerdam confronted him after his publication of "DeMulierum Organis Generatione Inservientibu" and accused him of taking credit of discoveries he and Johannes van Horne had made earlier regarding the importance of the ovary and its eggs. De Graaf issued a rebuttal but was affected by the accusation. [cite journal |author=Venita Jay |title=A portrait in History. The Legacy of Reinier De Graaf |journal=Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (2000): Vol. 124, No. 8, pp. 1115–1116. [PMID:10923067] ]

Female ejaculation

De Graaf described female ejaculation and referred to an erogenous zone in the vagina that he himself linked with the male prostate; later this zone was rediscovered by the German gynecologist Ernst Gräfenberg as the g-spot. Further, he described the anatomy of the testicles and collected secretions of the gall bladder and the pancreas.

Weaknesses

Despite his contributions, De Graaf made a number of errors in addition to believing that the ovum was the the follicle. He never actually consulted the ancient texts but merely repeated the accounts of others compounding their inaccuracies. Because he observed rabbits rather than humans, he assumed fertilisation took place in the ovary. He believed that the seminal vesicles stored spermatozoa.

Gallery

Publications

* [http://shinku.nichibun.ac.jp/NOMA/new/books/10/suema000000003or.html De Graaf, R (1668) "De Virorum Organis Generationi Inservientibus, de Clysteribus et de Usu Siphonis in Anatomia"]
* [http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1033617 De Graaf, R (1672) "De Mulierum Organis Generationi Inservientibus"]
* De Graaf, R (1686) "Alle de Wercken". Leyden, The Netherlands.

References

Other sources

* Houtzager HL. "Reinier de Graaf 1641-1673" (Dutch). Rotterdam: Erasmus publishing, 1991. ISBN 90-5235-021-3.
*Citation
id = PMID:10923067
url= http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10923067
last=Jay
first=V
publication-date=2000 Aug
year=2000
title=A portrait in history. The legacy of Reinier de Graaf
volume=124
issue=8
periodical=Arch. Pathol. Lab. Med.
pages=1115–6
*Citation
id = PMID:10825629
url= http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10825629
last=Houtzager
first=H L
publication-date=2000 Jun
year=2000
title=Reinier De Graaf and his contribution to reproductive biology
volume=90
issue=2
periodical=Eur. J. Obstet. Gynecol. Reprod. Biol.
pages=125–7
*Citation
id = PMID:10730914
url= http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10730914
last=Modlin
first=I M
publication-date=2000 Mar
year=2000
title=Regnier de Graaf: Paris, purging, and the pancreas
volume=30
issue=2
periodical=J. Clin. Gastroenterol.
pages=109–13
*Citation
id = PMID:9080233
url= http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9080233
last=Ankum
first=W M
last2=Houtzager
first2=H L
last3=Bleker
first3=O P
publication-date=
year=
title=Reinier De Graaf (1641-1673) and the fallopian tube
volume=2
issue=4
periodical=Hum. Reprod. Update
pages=365–9
*Citation
id = PMID:8623824
url= http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8623824
last=Longo
first=L D
publication-date=1996 Feb
year=1996
title=De mulierum organis generationi inservientibus tractatus novus..
volume=174
issue=2
periodical=Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol.
pages=794–5
*Citation
id = PMID:1792221
url= http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1792221
last=Wiesemann
first=C
publication-date=1991 Nov
year=1991
title= [Regnier de Graaf (1641-1673)]
volume=12
issue=6
periodical=Pathologe
pages=352–3
*Citation
id = PMID:7037492
url= http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7037492
last=Houtzager
first=H L
publication-date=1981 Dec
year=1981
title=Reinier de Graaf
volume=12
issue=6
periodical=Eur. J. Obstet. Gynecol. Reprod. Biol.
pages=385–7
*Citation
id = PMID:379667
url= http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/379667
last=Gysel
first=C
publication-date=1978 May
year=1978
title= [Reinier de Graaf (1641-1673) and the syringe]
volume=85
issue=5
periodical=Nederlands tijdschrift voor tandheelkunde
pages=216–8
*Citation
id = PMID:773713
url= http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/773713
last=Mann
first=R J
publication-date=1976 Apr
year=1976
title=Regnier de Graaf, 1641-1673, investigator
volume=27
issue=4
periodical=Fertil. Steril.
pages=466–8
*Citation
id = PMID:4597505
url= http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4597505
last=Lindenboom
first=G A
publication-date=1974 May 25
year=1974
title= [Reinier de Graaf (1641-1673)]
volume=118
issue=21
periodical=Nederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde
pages=789–95
*Citation
id = PMID:4595333
url= http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4595333
publication-date=1973 Jul 14
year=1973
title= [Reinier de Graaf and the Royal Society of London]
volume=117
issue=28
periodical=Nederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde
pages=1049–55
*Citation
id = PMID:4567037
url= http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4567037
last=Jocelyn
first=H D
last2=Setchell
first2=B P
publication-date=1972 Dec
year=1972
title=Regnier de Graaf on the human reproductive organs. An annotated translation of Tractatus de Virorum Organis Generationi Inservientibus (1668) and De Mulierub Organis Generationi Inservientibus Tractatus Novus (1962)
volume=17
issue=
periodical=J. Reprod. Fertil. Suppl.
pages=1–222
*Citation
id = PMID:13930746
url= http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/13930746
last=Lindberg
first=J
publication-date=1963 Jan 24
year=1963
title= [Regnier de GRAAF.]
volume=69
issue=
periodical=Nordisk medicin
pages=108–12
*Citation
id = PMID:13309944
url= http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/13309944
last=Speert
first=H
publication-date=1956 May
year=1956
title=Obstetric-gynecologic eponyms; Reinier de Graaf and the graafian follicles
volume=7
issue=5
periodical=Obstetrics and gynecology
pages=582–8

Related articles

* Female ejaculation

External links

* [http://www.ivf.nl/Reinier_de_Graaf_UK.htm Short biography]
* [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?tocId=9037566 Britannica entry]