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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiocentric hypothesis | 2/2 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiocentric_hypothesis | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T09:32:55.250568+00:00 | kb-cron |
=== Europe === In the Middle Ages, the German Catholic friar Albertus Magnus made contributions to physiology and biology. His treatise was based on Galen's cephalocentric theory and was profoundly affected by Avicenna's preeminent Canon, which itself had been influenced by Aristotle. He combined these ideas in a new way which suggested that nerves branched off from the brain but that the origin was the heart. He concluded that philosophically, all matters originated from the heart, and in the corporeal explanation, all nerves started from the brain.
William Harvey, an early modern English physiologist, also agreed with Aristotle's cardiocentric view. He was the first to describe the basic operation of the circulatory system, by which blood was pumped by the heart to the rest of the body, in detail. He explained that the heart was the centre of the body and the source of life in his treatise De Motu Cordis et Sanguinis in Animalibus.
== Cephalocentric perspective ==
Hippocrates of Kos was the first to suggest that the brain was the seat of the soul and intelligence. From his treatise De morbo sacro, he pointed out that the brain controls the rest of the body and is responsible for sensation and understanding. Apart from that, he believed that all feelings originated from the brain. Galen of Pergamon was a biologist and physician. His approach to the investigation of the brain was due to his rigorous anatomical methodology. He pointed out that only correct dissection will support the incontrovertible statement. He reached the conclusion that the brain was responsible for sensation and thought, and that nerves originated at the spinal cord and brain.
== Brain in heart ==
The "little brain in the heart" is an intricate system of nerve cells that control and regulate the heart's activity. It is also called the intrinsic cardiac nervous system (ICNS). It consists of about 40,000 neurons that form clusters or ganglia around the heart, especially near the top where the blood vessels enter and exit. These neurons communicate with each other and with the brain through chemical and electrical signals. The intrinsic cardiac nervous system has several functions, such as:
Adjusting the heart rate and rhythm according to the body's needs and emotions. Sensing and responding to changes in blood pressure, oxygen levels, hormones, and inflammation. Protecting the heart from damage during a heart attack or other stress. Learning and remembering from past experiences and influencing the brain’s memory and emotions.
== References ==
== Further reading == Loukas, Marios; Youssef, Pamela; Gielecki, Jerzy; Walocha, Jerzy; Natsis, Kostantinos; Tubbs, R. Shane (2016-03-11). "History of cardiac anatomy: A comprehensive review from the egyptians to today". Clinical Anatomy. 29 (3): 270–284. doi:10.1002/ca.22705. ISSN 0897-3806. PMID 26918296. S2CID 30362746.