Entre la anatomía y las geociencias: una aproximación a la vida y obre del beato Nicolás Steno

Abstract

Nicolaus Steno (1638-1686) was an important Danish anatomist and scientist, his work helpedto found some branches of geology. As an anatomist he made multiple contributions: he dis-covered the duct that bears his name in the parotid glands, as well as the duct that excretesthe tears, which at that time was considered to be produced in the brain. He disputed the ana-tomical ideas of the time with his proposals of geometrize myology, of thinking the heart as a muscle and with his contributions to the understanding of the nervous system. In 1667 he con-verted to catholicism and in 1677 he was consecrated as titular bishop of Titiopolis, an ancientcity whose ruins are in Turkey. He spent his last years in poverty, as a missionary in northernEurope. His work and life allows us to see, how he reconciled scientific research and the studyof anatomy with his religious vocation, to made great contributions in different disciplines. In this paper, through a revision of literature, we make a review of his life and his main works.