History of Anatomy: Middle Ages to Renaissance

The History of Anatomy

• Anatomy became stagnant in Christian Europe but flourished in the Islamic world, where Arabs translated Galen's works into Arabic.
• The Canon of Medicine, written by Ibn Sina, was a highly influential and authoritative book on anatomy in the Islamic world.

Renaissance Period

• This period, lasting from the 14th to the 16th century, was characterized by a rebirth of science and a transition from the Middle Ages to the modern age.
• The Canon of Medicine remained a significant textbook on anatomy during this period.
• A series of authors dissected cadavers, leading to advancements in anatomy.

Leonardo da Vinci

• Da Vinci was a great Italian genius who was a painter, sculptor, architect, musician, anatomist, and engineer.
• He observed dissections on cadavers and created 500 anatomical sketches, which were published in 1898.
• Da Vinci is known as the originator of cross-sectional anatomy and was the first to describe the moderator band of the right ventricle.

Vesalius

• Born in Brussels, Vesalius was a professor of anatomy at the University of Padua in Italy.
• His work, De humani corporis fabrica, written in 7 volumes, revolutionized the teaching of anatomy.
• Vesalius challenged hundreds of Galen's erroneous concepts and is considered the Father of Modern Anatomy and the Reformer of Anatomy.

Anatomical Terminology

• Flexion: bending or decreasing the angle between bones or parts of the body.
• Extension: straightening or increasing the angle between bones or parts of the body.
• Hyperextension: extending a limb or body part beyond its normal limit.
• Abduction: moving away from the median plane.
• Adduction: moving towards the median plane.

Ancient Anatomy

• The history of human anatomy parallels that of medicine and has been influenced by various religions, including Babylonians, Syrians, Egyptians, Chinese, and Hindus.
• Religious beliefs conflicted with the desecration of the human body, hindering anatomical studies.

Grecian Period

• Hippocrates (460-377 BC) was a Greek physician known as the Father of Medicine.
• He attributed diseases to natural causes and developed the humoral theory, which included four body humors: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile.
• Aristotle (384-322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and zoologist who wrote the first account of embryology, including heart development and the naming of the aorta.

Roman Period

• Claudius Galen (AD 132-201) was a renowned physician who wrote extensively on medical subjects, including anatomy, physiology, pathology, and symptomatology.
• Galen identified veins and arteries containing blood and studied the functions of the kidneys and spinal cord.

History of Anatomy

• The past is living material out of which humans build for the future (Rene Dubos, 1901-1982).
• Anatomy is derived from the Greek word "anatome," meaning "to cut up."
• Dissection is the Latin equivalent of anatomy.

Subdivisions of Anatomy

• Cadaveric anatomy: the study of the human body through dissection.
• Macroscopic/Gross anatomy: the study of the structure and organization of living things that can be seen with the naked eye.
• Regional anatomy: the study of the human body by dividing it into regions, such as the head, neck, and torso.
• Systemic anatomy: the study of the human body by dividing it into systems, such as the nervous, circulatory, and digestive systems.

United Kingdom

• The dissection of executed criminals was legalized in 1752, and laws were established to allow for the use of unclaimed bodies between 1830 and 1833.
• The Anatomy Act of 1832 aimed to teach anatomy and establish schools of anatomy for dissection.
• The inspector of anatomy was responsible for supervising schools of anatomy, regulating them through legislation, and protecting the public from dissection.

Present Day UK

• Informed consent is necessary for storing and retaining specimens in the United Kingdom.
• Controversies surrounding procurement methods have led to debates, including the Bristol Inquiry and Green Lane Heart Inquiry.

South Africa

• Saartjie Baartman was a South African woman who was exploited and dissected after her death in the 19th century.

Movements

• Rotation: turning and revolving a part of the body around its longitudinal axis.
• Medial rotation: bringing the anterior surface of a limb closer to the median plane.
• Lateral rotation: taking the anterior surface away from the median plane.
• Pronation: turning the arm or foot downward (palm or sole of the foot down).
• Supination: turning the arm or foot upward (palm or sole of the foot up).
• Retraction: moving a part backward.
• Protraction: moving a part forward.
• Elevation: raising a part.
• Depression: lowering a part.
• Lateral flexion: side-bending left or right.
• Inversion: turning the sole of the foot inward.
• Eversion: turning the sole of the foot outward.
• Dorsiflexion: an ankle movement bringing the foot towards the shin.
• Plantarflexion: an ankle movement pointing the foot downward.
• Radial deviation: movement of the wrist towards the radius or lateral side.
• Ulnar deviation: movement of the wrist towards the ulna or medial side.
• Opposition: movement of the thumb across the palm of the hand.
• Reposition: movement of the 1st digit from the position of opposition back to its anatomical position.