title: The contribution of Jan Evagelista Purkynĕ to knowledge of the morphology and function of the gastric mucosa.
abstract: Histological studies of the gastric mucosa led Purkynĕ to the discovery of the cell as a fundamental structural unit of an organ (1837). This study led Purkynĕ to draw conclusions about the physiological role of the gastric mucosa in protein digestion. These conclusions included the activation of pepsinogen, the buffering role of saliva and bile, and the production of hydrochloric acid. Purkynĕ was thus the first to provide a general concept of the role of the stomach in food digestion.
mesh_terms: D003604:Czechoslovakia; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D006653:Histology / Q000266:history; D049671:History, 18th Century; D010827:Physiology / Q000266:history