n biology and physiology. Harvey focused much of his research on the mechanics of blood flow in the human body. Most physicians of the time felt that the lungs were responsible for moving the blood around throughout the body. Harvey questioned these beliefs and his questions directed his life-long scientific investigations.
             Opened heart showing anatomy and blood flow
             Harvey's experiments involved both direct dissection and physiological experiments on animals. His observations of dissected hearts showed that the valves in the heart allowed blood to flow in only one direction. Direct observation of the heartbeat of living animals showed that the ventricles contracted together, dispelling Galen's theory that blood was forced from one ventricle to the other.Dissection of the septum of the heart showed that it contained arteries and veins, not perforations. When Harvey removed the beating heart from a living animal, it continued to beat, thus acting as a pump, not a sucking organ. Harvey also used mathematical data to prove th
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