title: Galen's (130-201 AD) Conceptions of the Heart.
abstract: In the 2nd century AD, the prolific Greek physician Galen contributed significantly to the anatomical and physiological knowledge of the cardiovascular system. However his erroneous theory of blood circulation, based on the inaccurate notion that venous blood passes through tiny pores in the heart's septum, moves from the right ventricle to the left, and is mixed with inhaled air from the lungs, was to block any new ideas in this field for more than 1500 years.
authors.affiliation: History of Medicine Department, University of Athens, Medical School, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karamanou
authors.forename: Christodoulos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stefanadis
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tsoucalas
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Laios
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Androutsos
mesh_terms: D000715:Anatomy / Q000266:history*; D001775:Blood Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D002309:Cardiology / Q000266:history*; D000076145:Greece, Ancient; D006321:Heart / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D006346:Heart Septum / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D010820:Physicians / Q000266:history*