Amedeo Avogadro was an Italian scientist best known for his hypothesis that equal volumes of different gases contain an equal number of molecules, provided they are at the same temperature and pressure. This hypothesis, which became known as Avogadro's law, was rejected by other scientists during his lifetime but gained acceptance after his death. Avogadro was also the first scientist to propose that elements can exist as discrete molecules rather than individual atoms. His contributions helped lay the foundations of modern atomic and molecular theory.