Illustration for the question “Who demonstrated in the 17th century the general circulation of blood under the action of the heart?”

Science

Who demonstrated in the 17th century the general circulation of blood under the action of the heart?

Correct answer William Harvey

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William Harvey published “De Motu Cordis” in 1628, a work in which he demonstrated that the heart acts like a pump and that blood circulates in a circuit through the body. His experiments, observations of the valves and quantitative estimates contradicted the Galenic idea according to which blood would be continually produced and then consumed. Harvey could not observe the capillaries, later described by Marcello Malpighi, using a microscope. Several centuries earlier, Ibn al-Nafis had already explained the pulmonary circulation between the heart and the lungs. Harvey therefore established modern general circulation, but he was not the first to understand every part of the system.

Content last updated · August 14, 2026

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