Final answer:
Human anatomy progressed from mere external observation to complex understanding through dissection of animals and human cadavers. Notable figures like Leonardo da Vinci significantly contributed to anatomical knowledge. Advancements in medical imaging technology have since opened new horizons for viewing living human structures.
Step-by-step explanation:
Origins of Human Anatomy from Animal Dissections :
From its early days of relying on outside observations to the use of dissections and eventually sophisticated imaging technology, the field of human anatomy has come a long way. Dissection was essential to the advancement of our knowledge of the anatomy of the human body. Through the dissection of animals and subsequently human cadavers, anatomists were able to observe the internal mechanisms of the body. Early methods used by anatomists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Andreas Vesalius, who created intricate drawings from their dissections and laid the groundwork for the study of anatomy, are emblematic of the history of human anatomy. Due to restrictions imposed by law and religion on the dissection of humans, early anatomists frequently studied animals instead of humans. But by the late nineteenth century, medical imaging and the study of anatomy had been completely transformed by the advent of non-surgical techniques like X-rays and, later, MRI and CT scans.
The absence of practical dissection at first hampered the development of detailed anatomical knowledge, but with the advent of the field's pioneers, the study of anatomy became a recognized scientific field. This development was greatly aided by artistic pursuits that also functioned as scientific research. Through dissection, historical figures such as Leonardo have made significant contributions to our understanding of anatomy.