Medical Dictionary
Main Entry:
crypt of Mor·ga·gni Pronunciation:
-mor-'gän-yE Function:
noun : any of the pouched cavities of the rectal mucosa immediatelyabove the anorectal junction, intervening between vertical folds of the rectal mucosa
Morgagni, Giovanni Battista (1682–1771), Italian anatomist and pathologist. Oftencalled the “father of pathology,” Morgagni is considered to be the founder of modern pathological anatomy. He was the first to demonstrate the necessity for basing diagnosis, prognosis, andtreatment on knowledge of anatomical conditions. In 1761 he published
De Sedibus et Causis Morborum (The Seats and Causes of Diseases), a monumental work that established him as one of thegreatest figures in the history of medicine.
