Andreas Vesalius
Also called: Vesalius · Topic: Renaissance, Reformation and the Scientific Revolution · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 5 "Changing Cultural Traditions"
Meaning
Andreas Vesalius (1514–64) was a Belgian professor of medicine at the University of Padua. He was the first to dissect the human body, meaning he cut it open to study its parts. His work marks the beginning of modern physiology, the study of how the body works. It also helped Renaissance artists draw the body accurately.
Example
In 1543 Vesalius published On Anatomy. In the same year Copernicus's De revolutionibus appeared, so 1543 is an important year for the Scientific Revolution.
Don't confuse with
- William Harvey: he linked the heart to the circulation of blood in 1628. Vesalius is known for the first human dissection.