Key Terms and Definitions:

Dissection: The careful cutting apart of a dead body to study its structure.

Anatomy: The branch of science concerned with the bodily structure of humans, animals, and other living organisms.

Hippocrates: An ancient Greek physician whose ideas about the four humours influenced medicine for centuries.

Humour theory: The belief that health depended on the balance of four bodily fluids: blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile.

Vesalius: A Renaissance anatomist who challenged traditional ideas and promoted the importance of direct observation and dissection.

Model Answer: Vesalius was a key figure in Renaissance medicine, known for his detailed anatomical drawings and emphasis on dissection, which challenged ancient ideas like those of Galen and Hippocrates.

Source:

'Vesalius revolutionized anatomy by performing detailed dissections and creating accurate anatomical drawings. He questioned the long-held reliance on Galen’s work, which was based on animal dissection.'

Provenance: Excerpt from a history textbook about Vesalius, 20th century.

Source:

'Vesalius’s detailed anatomical work laid the foundation for modern anatomy. His challenge to traditional ideas paved the way for scientific approaches to medicine.'

Provenance: Modern medical history commentary, 21st century.