Luigi Galvani published his findings on 'animal electricity', observing that frog legs twitched when connected to dissimilar metals. He attributed this phenomenon to electricity inherent in animal tissues.

Volta remained skeptical of Galvani's interpretation. He believed that the electricity arose from the contact between dissimilar metals, not from the animal tissue itself. He conducted experiments to support his viewpoint.

The debate between Volta and Galvani intensified, dividing the scientific community. Some scientists supported Galvani's theory of animal electricity, while others sided with Volta's explanation of metallic contact.

Volta continued to conduct experiments to disprove Galvani's theory, demonstrating that similar effects could be produced using purely inorganic materials. His development of the voltaic pile further strengthened his position.

Volta's invention of the voltaic pile provided strong evidence for his contact theory. Although the concept of animal electricity persisted in some circles, Volta's explanation gradually gained wider acceptance within the scientific community. Eventually both mechanisms were proved to have a role in the observed phenomena.