While dissecting a sheep's head in Amsterdam, Nicolaus Steno accidentally discovered the parotid gland, which produces saliva.
Sources
- Nicolaus Steno (1638-1686) - NASA Science (science.nasa.gov)
- https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/nicolaus-steno (ebsco.com)
- https://inters.org/files/perrinietal2010_onstensen.pdf (inters.org)
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21426596/ (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12602730/ (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)