Jan Swammerdam

Jan Swammerdam
A 19th-century fantasy portrait, based on the face of Hartman Hartmanzoon (1591–1659) from Rembrandt's The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp. No genuine portrait of Jan Swammerdam is known.
Born	(1637-02-12)February 12, 1637 Amsterdam, Dutch Republic
Died	February 17, 1680(1680-02-17) (aged 43) Amsterdam, Dutch Republic
Nationality	Dutch
Fields	Entomology
Alma mater	University of Leiden
Known for	Describing erythrocytes, work on entomology
Influences	Antoinette Bourignon

Jan Swammerdam (February 12, 1637 – February 17, 1680) 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.

Swammerdam was baptized on 15 February 1637 in the Oude Kerk Amsterdam. His father was an apothecary, and an amateur collector of minerals, coins, fossils, and insects from around the world. His mother Baertje Jans Corvers died in 1661. The same year, when he was 24, Swammerdam entered the University of Leiden to study medicine. After qualifying as a candidate in medicine in 1663, he left for France, spending time in Issy, Saumur and Paris with Melchisédech Thévenot. He returned to Leiden in September 1665, and earned his M.D. on February 22, 1667

Once he left university, he spent much of his time pursuing his interest in insects. This choice caused a rift between Swammerdam and his father, who thought his son should practice medicine. The relationship between the two deteriorated; Swammerdam's father cut off his financial support for Swammerdam's entomological studies. As a result, Swammerdam was forced, at least occasionally, to practice medicine in order to finance his own research. He obtained leave at Amsterdam to dissect the bodies of those who died in the hospital.