Vesalius

[ vi-sey-lee-uhs, -seyl-yuhs ]

noun

1. An·dre·as [ahn-, dre, -ahs], 1514–64, Flemish anatomist.

Vesalius

/ vɪˈseɪlɪəs /

noun

1. VesaliusAndreas15141564MFlemishMEDICINE: anatomist Andreas (anˈdreːas). 1514–64, Flemish anatomist, whose De Humani Corporis fabrica (1543) formed the basis of modern anatomical research and medicine

Vesalius

/ vĭ-sā′lē-əs /

1. Flemish anatomist and surgeon who is considered the father of modern anatomy. His rigorous descriptions of the structure of the human body, based on his own personal dissections of cadavers, established a new level of clarity and accuracy in the study of human anatomy.

Biography

After receiving his medical degree in 1537, Andreas Vesalius began lecturing on surgery and anatomy at the University of Padua. To further his knowledge, he personally dissected cadavers, a task that others in his position would have delegated to an assistant. Through this work Vesalius became convinced that the anatomical theories of the Greek physician Galen, whose ideas had been accepted as authoritative for more than 1,000 years, were not correct. Although Vesalius had begun his career as a Galenist, his hands-on experience led him to believe that Galen's descriptions of the human body were based on dissections of pigs, dogs, and other animals rather than humans, a procedure that was prohibited during Galen's time. Vesalius compared Galen's anatomical texts with his own observations made during dissections. After five years spent compiling his findings, in 1543 he published De humani corporis fabrica (On the Structure of the Human Body), which was the most accurate and comprehensive anatomy textbook to date and included artists' engravings based on Vesalius's own drawings. By relying on careful observation instead of received wisdom, Vesalius transformed the field of anatomy, as well as medicine and biology.

Example Sentences

Visitors can explore illustrations from some of the earliest modern anatomical texts by people such as Andreas Vesalius, a Belgian physician known as the father of human anatomy.

From Washington Post

In 1543, the word made an appearance alongside an odd illustration in an anatomical atlas by Andreas Vesalius, a Flemish physician sometimes called the “father of modern anatomy.”

From New York Times

The direct line from Vesalius to Harvey involves just two other people.

From Literature

The engraved plates produced in Venice were then carried over the Alps to Basle, as Vesalius did not trust the Venetian printers to produce work of sufficiently high quality.

From Literature

Even Vesalius realized that his images could be confusing, and devised an ingenious method to explain them.

From Nature