Midterm Review - Blood Circulation

Question 1

What is Du Motu Cordis

Answer 1

• William Harvey’s work where he detailed his discoveries on blood circulation
• Before Harvey, Galen taught that blood ebbed and flowed like a tide within the body being consumed as it reached organs -> Harvey challenged this concept
• Harvey observed that the heart worked like a pump → continuous loop rather than being consumed
• Harvey dissected various animals to observe differences and similarities in cardiac function
• “Du Motu Cordis” shifted medical theory from qualitative to quantitative science

Question 2

Who is William Harvey

Answer 2

anatomist (expert in anatomy) who revolutionized the understanding of blood circulation

Question 3

Pores in the Hearts Septum

Answer 3

Harvey disproved the existing Galenic theory that blood flows from the heart’s right side to the left through invisible pores in the septum

Question 4

Circulation of Blood Pumped Per Hour

Answer 4

Harvey calculated that the heart pumps 8.640 oz of blood per hour → leading him to conclude that blood must circulate rather than being constantly produced

Question 5

Circulation of the Blood

Answer 5

Harvey’s theory that the heart recycles blood, it flows out through arteries and returns via veins, challenging centuries of medical beliefs

Question 6

How did Harveys education influence his scientific approach

Answer 6

Harvey’s strict training gave him a organized way of doing scientific research that put more weight on direct observation and mechanical understanding than on what other people said.

Question 7

Describe Harvey’s experimental methodology

Answer 7

• Harveys extensively used dissection and vivisection across numerous animal species to observe heart function
• He measured the heart’s output and physically demonstrated the circulation of blood, using both calculation and empirical evidence

Question 8

What were the implications of Harvey’s discoveries on the medical and scientific communities

Answer 8

• Harveys findings overturned the Galenic theory of humors and static blood, establishing a mechanical and dynamic system of blood circulation
• This laid the groundwork for modern physiology and changed the course of medicine by emphasizing empirical evidence and quantitative measurement