Porter, Roy, ed. Vesalius. The Biographical Dictionary of Scientists. 2nd Ed. New York: Oxford University P, 1994. Vesalius' work on the vascular and circulatory systems was his greatest contribution to modern medicine. In his dissections of the heart, Vesalius became convinced that Galen's claims of a porous interventricular septum were false. This fact was previously described by Michael Servetus, a fellow of Vesalius, but never reached the public, for it was written down in the "Manuscript of Paris", [24] in 1546, and published later in his Christianismi Restitutio (1553), a book regarded as heretical by the Inquisition. Only three copies survived, but these remained hidden for decades, the rest having been burned shortly after publication. In the second edition Vesalius published that the septum was indeed waterproof, discovering (and naming), the mitral valve to explain the blood flow. Saunders, JB de CM and O'Malley, Charles D. The Illustrations from the Works of Andreas Vesalius of Brussels. New York: Dover, 1973 [reprint].

He believed that the brain and the nervous system are the center of the mind and emotion in contrast to the common Aristotelian belief that the heart was the center of the body. He correspondingly believed that nerves themselves do not originate from the heart, but from the brain—facts already experimentally proved by Herophilus and Erasistratus in the classical era, but suppressed after the adoption of Aristotelianism by the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages.

Conditions of Use

The human body is amazing. It can come in all shapes and sizes. But, what is the body made up of? Well, let's find out by making one, shall we?

Ars Anatomica collection at University of Edinburgh image service (includes Vesalius's De Humanis Corporis Fabrica) All of the topics had same formatting and they were aligned. I did not see any issues with consistency. This handy book list is great for finding lots of varied suggestions to enhance your 'All About Me' and 'My Body' topic teaching. Here are a couple of favourite suggestions: Besides the first good description of the sphenoid bone, he showed that the sternum consists of three portions and the sacrum of five or six, and described accurately the vestibule in the interior of the temporal bone. He not only verified Estienne's observations on the valves of the hepatic veins, but also described the vena azygos, and discovered the canal which passes in the fetus between the umbilical vein and the vena cava, since named the ductus venosus. He described the omentum and its connections with the stomach, the spleen and the colon; gave the first correct views of the structure of the pylorus; observed the small size of the caecal appendix in man; gave the first good account of the mediastinum and pleura and the fullest description of the anatomy of the brain up to that time. He did not understand the inferior recesses, and his account of the nerves is confused by regarding the optic as the first pair, the third as the fifth, and the fifth as the seventh.

The content included is up-to-date. It could use more current examples to make the material more relevant to students. The modular nature of the text would allow it to be easily updated. Detracting from the writing is detail level, inconsistent bolding of words, and references in the text that should either have a picture to illustrate what's being talked about. For example, in the vestibular module of the special senses unit, the semi-circular canals are the only bolded word. Why not otoliths or utricle and saccule? Also, while the action of the vestibular system is described quite well, there is not diagram or animation link to show how these structure work to provide balance. If I were a visual learner, a picture would really help me here. O'Malley, Charles Donald. Andreas Vesalius of Brussels, 1514–1564. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1964. The text is not culturally insensitive, but I don't see examples that are inclusive of variety of races, ethnicities, gender identity (and genetics). A section on human evolution and/or inheritance/genetics could make the text more inclusive. The Brain that Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science (Hardcover)

I didn’t find anything culturally insensitive. Like most biology textbooks, this text could include more inclusive material. For example, highlighting contributions of diverse scientists or using more culturally diverse examples.

International

a b Gumpert, Martin (1948). "Vesalius". Scientific American. 178 (5): 24–31. doi: 10.1038/scientificamerican0548-24. ISSN 0036-8733. JSTOR 24945814. Would like to see even a short section on human evolution. As well, I don't see coverage of integumentary system or development. Lymphatic system is with immune system, which is fine but perhaps change title for Ch 20 to "Immune System and Lymphatic System."