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The History of Reproductive Biology 12 September 2005 Jamie Chan, Delfina Dris, Nichole Gale, Nikki Woodard The History of the Knowledge of Reproductive Anatomy and Physiology “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” George Santayana (1863-1952) Spanish philosopher and poet. How much of what we are being taught do we accept? If we were students in Paris in the 15th and 16th century we would have learnt that a birth mark on a child was the consequence of the mother having conceived during menstruation. Thankfully we are students in the 21st century and we have had so many scholars before us work it all out for us……? It is fair to be confident that what we are learning now is the correct story because with most things we can see the proof ourselves. Or is that the trap that scholars before us fell for too? Will there be a student sometime in the future who will be amazed at what we believe is true about reproduction, just as we cannot believe the theories intelligent scholars before us had? For example; 275 B.C. Herophilus was a Greek Scholar who practised and taught medicine. Before him reproductive anatomy was neglected. He investigated the male and female form, and from his own findings he educated the students of that era. Some of his teachings were: Male anatomy He gave the first precise description of the genitalia. Main blood vessels of the penis Described the ductus deferens but not entirely accurate. Named the epididymis –but believed its function was to protect the soft flesh of the male’s testicles. Identified the ampullae Described spermatic duct system – and taught that the system’s purpose was to makes the journey of sperm longer and more convoluted to prevent excessive sexual excitation and apparently premature ejaculation. Considering the era, his knowledge of male anatomy was not too bad. Female Anatomy Uterus had two chambers; one on right for male embryos the left one for female. “The uterus is double in al