Fabricius of Aquapendente, Hieronymus

(also known under the given names Gerónimo and Girolamo and the surnames Fabrizio and Fabrici). Born 1533 in Aquapendente; died May 21, 1619, in Padua. Italian anatomist and surgeon.

Fabricius studied medicine at the University of Padua, where he took over the chair of anatomy after the death of his teacher, G. Fallopius; he became a professor at the university in 1565. His principal works were in embryology, anatomy, and comparative anatomy. In 1603, Fabricius described venous valves, which help move blood to the heart, and in 1618 he described the cloacal sac in birds (the bursa of Fabricius).

Continuing in the tradition of A. Vesalius, Fabricius based his work entirely on studies of human corpses. He was a teacher of W. Harvey.