For 1,400 years, doctors believed Galen's theory: blood was made in the liver, flowed to organs where it was "used up," and new blood was constantly produced. In 1628, English physician William Harvey proved this was completely wrong. Through careful experiments — tying off veins, measuring heart output — he showed that the same blood circulates around the body, pumped by the heart. The liver couldn't possibly make enough blood to match what the heart pumped. It was one of the most important discoveries in medical history.
This introduction covers Setting the Scene within Harvey and Circulation for GCSE History. Revise Harvey and Circulation in Medicine Through Time for GCSE History with 8 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. Use this page as part of a wider topic revision path rather than treating it as an isolated fact. It is section 1 of 14 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Practice questions for Harvey and Circulation
In which year did William Harvey publish 'On the Motion of the Heart'?
According to Galen's theory, where was blood produced in the body?
Quick recall flashcards
What does blood circulation mean?
The same blood circulates continuously around the body, pumped by the heart — it is not made in the liver and 'used up' (as Galen believed)
What did Galen believe about blood?
Made in liver, "used up" by organs, passed through invisible holes in heart