There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.
Abstract
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) made far-reaching contributions to many areas of science,
technology and art. Leonardo's pioneering research into the brain led him to discoveries
in neuroanatomy (such as those of the frontal sinus and meningeal vessels) and neurophysiology
(he was the first to pith a frog). His injection of hot wax into the brain of an ox
provided a cast of the ventricles, and represents the first known use of a solidifying
medium to define the shape and size of an internal body structure. Leonardo developed
an original, mechanistic model of sensory physiology. He undertook his research with
the broad goal of providing physical explanations of how the brain processes visual
and other sensory input, and integrates that information via the soul.