Realdo Colombo

Realdo Colombo (also known as Realdus Columbus) was an Italian anatomist and physician, born in the Republic of Venice around 1515 and died in Rome in 1559. He is most known for his work in the field of anatomy, particularly for his discovery of the pulmonary circulation.

Early Life and Education

Colombo was born in Cremona, a city in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. He studied medicine at the University of Padua, one of the leading medical schools of the time. There, he was a student of the renowned anatomist Andreas Vesalius, and later became his successor as the chair of surgery and anatomy.

Career

In 1544, Colombo left Padua to become a professor of anatomy at the University of Pisa. He later moved to Rome, where he served as a physician to two Popes, Pope Julius III and Pope Pius IV. He also taught at the Sapienza University of Rome, where he conducted public dissections at the Papal Medical School.

Contributions to Anatomy

Colombo made several significant contributions to the field of anatomy. His most notable discovery was the pulmonary circulation, the process by which blood is oxygenated in the lungs. This was a major advancement in the understanding of the circulatory system, and it corrected the previous theories of Galen, a Greek physician of the Roman Empire.

Colombo's other anatomical discoveries include the vena azygos, and the fact that the semen does not originate from the kidneys but from the testicles. He also provided detailed descriptions of the heart, the liver, and the brain.

Legacy

Colombo's work had a significant impact on the field of anatomy and medicine. His discovery of the pulmonary circulation was a major step forward in the understanding of the human body. His detailed anatomical descriptions and corrections of Galen's theories paved the way for future advancements in medicine.

References

• O'Malley, C. D. (1966). Andreas Vesalius of Brussels, 1514-1564. Berkeley: University of California Press.
• Singer, Charles (1957). A Short History of Anatomy & Physiology from the Greeks to Harvey. New York: Dover Publications.