Andreas Vesalius, a Belgian physician, was one of the first scientists to dissect human cadavers, and he is considered to be the founder of modern anatomy. He was born in Brussels on December 13, 1514 to a family of physicians originally from Wesel, Germany. His father was a pharmacist to Charles V of Germany and as a boy Vesalius expressed his interest in science by dissecting dead birds and mice. As he grew older he was educated at the University of Louvain and later studied medicine in Paris. Vesalius served as a military surgeon for a while and then moved to Padua where he earned his medical degree in 1537. He was then appointed as a lecturer in surgery and anatomy. Vesalius was known for giving entertaining lectures where he actually performed dissections himself rather than delegating them to an assistant.

Vesalius is best known for advancing the study of anatomy...