Vesalius and the Human Body

Photo of human body systems courtesy 123rf.com

Today's topic, anatomy, was requested by amanie from Toronto, who is @amislife on Twitter.  

Hippocrates is considered to be the first medical scientist who studied human anatomy.  The Ancient Greek physician, Galen, wrote the definitive books on the human anatomy for that time.  During the Medieval Era dissection of human bodies wasn't done, and knowledge of human anatomy was gained through the work of the Ancient Greek physician Galen.  Medical students read Galen's works and dissected only animals.

Belgian physician Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564) is considered the father of modern anatomical study, because he began dissecting human corpses given to him by the criminal courts of people who had been hanged on the gallows.  He discovered and wrote about the inaccuracies in Galen's writings about the human body.  For more information click here and click here.

There is an exhibition in New York, Las Vegas, and Atlanta called Bodies: The Exhibition.  It is described as "A milestone achievement for anatomy education...a celebration of the beautiful and amazing intricacies of the human form."  For the fabulous and informative website click here.

Thanks to amanie, @amislife on Twitter, for suggesting today's topic!  What did you learn today?

How The Heart Got Its Shape

The shape of the heart symbol, which symbolizes love, bears little resemblance to the human heart, so I wondered about the origin.  There are several different ideas about the origin of this symbol going back to anywhere from the 7th century BC up to the 17th century. 

One idea is the heart shape of the now-extenct silphium plant from North Africa was used for birth control in the 7th century BC, and so became associated with sex and then eventually love.

Another idea proposes that the heart-shaped ivy leaf used to decorate early Christian burial sites eventually evolved to represent human life, which was believed to be driven entirely by the heart.  The human heart was rarely seen due primarily to religious bans on autopsies and the fact that surgery as is known today did not exist.  The heart was believed to be not only the seat of life but also the seat of emotion, so the heart-shaped ivy leaf eventually became associated with the emotions of love.  Blood is red, so the monks who painted illuminations in manuscripts eventually painted the heart symbol red.

Yet another idea proposed is that 17th century Saint Mary Margaret saw the sacred heart in this shape in a dream or vision.

For more information click here and click here.  What did you learn today?

For a Headache: Treat Your Feet!

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There are many recommended treatments for headaches, including the use of ginger paste, eucalyptus steam, apples with salt, cinnamon paste, and aloe vera gel.  I'd never heard of hot foot baths for headaches.  It's recommended to soak feet and legs in hot water for 15 minutes before going to bed for two to three weeks for chronic headaches.  For more information click here.  What did you learn today?

Are You As Tall As You Think You Are Right Now?

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Humans are about 1/2 inch shorter in the evening than in the morning.  For more information click here.  What did you learn today?

Bones Then and Now!

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You were born with about 300 bones, but as an adult you will have only 206!  For more information click here and click here.  What did you learn today?

Pumping Blood

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The human heart pumps about 2,000 gallons of blood every day.  For more information click here.  What did you learn today?

And...We're Back! With The Back!

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There are 33 sections in a baby's backbone, and 24 sections in the adult backbone.  For more information click here.  What did you learn today?  You may leave comments below--we enjoy hearing from you!

Language and Brain Switches

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There is a questionnaire now being given by scientists to bilingual persons in several countries such as Spain (speakers of Spanish and Catalan) and Canada (speakers of English and French).  The studies are trying to determine what unconscious changes occur in the brain when switching from one language to the other. 

For more information click here.  What did you learn today?

Automatic Brain Remodeling

Photo courtesy FreeImagesLive.co.uk

Recent studies in charting the brain’s genetic activity from before birth to old age--particularly when, where and for how long each gene in the brain is turned on over the course of a person’s life--reveal that the brain continually remodels itself in predictable ways throughout life.

For more information, see the article at the ScienceNews.org website.

A Natural Hole in the Head

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Johns Hopkins has developed a new brain surgery technique that leaves no scar, because entry to the brain is gained through a "natural hole" in the head:  inside the mouth behind the molars, above the jawbone, and beneath the cheekbone.

For more information, see the article at MedicalNewsToday.com.

Did You Remember To Get Your REM Sleep?

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During REM (Rapid-Eye-Movement) sleep, information is transferred from your short-term memory to your long-term memory.  Although individuals vary in the amount of sleep necessary to function well in their waking lives, lack of enough deep sleep interferes with one's having enough REM cycles necessary to allow the brain to process memory fully and properly.

For more information, see this article by Jie John Zhang, Ph.D. in the Journal of Theoretics.