The Father of Comparative Anatomy and his contributions to Anatomy's development

A BRIEF HISTORY OF ARISTOTLE

    Aristotle was an ancient Greek philosopher and scientist born in the city of Stagira, Chalkidice, on the northern periphery of Classical Greece. His father, Nicomachus, died when Aristotle was a child, whereafter Proxenus of Atarneus became his guardian. At seventeen or eighteen years of age, he joined Plato's Academy in Athens and remained there until the age of thirty-seven (c. 347 BC). His writings cover many subjects – including physics, biology, zoology, metaphysics, logic, ethics, aesthetics, poetry, theater, music, rhetoric, linguistics, politics and government – and constitute the first comprehensive system of Western philosophy. Shortly after Plato died, Aristotle left Athens and, at the request of Philip II of Macedon, tutored Alexander the Great beginning in 343 BC. 

source: wikipedia.org

HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANATOMY

    Aristotle is principally known as a theoretical philosopher and logician but he was also an eminent natural scientist. In particular, he should be considered probably the first anatomist in the modern sense of this term and the originator of anatomy as a special branch of knowledge. Although it seems certain that he did not perform dissections of human adult cadavers, he examined human fetal material and, above all, made systematic analysis of animal bodies. His contribution to comparative anatomy, as well as to human anatomy, was enormous. He founded the anatomical discipline on precise descriptive and scientific ground. He also coined a series of technical terms, which are still in use in the modern nomenclature. His observational skill was astounding. Although many of his physiological concepts turned out to be wrong, still his structural description of organs and body parts was often first-rank.

    Aristotle's inquiry about animals (including man), which is developed in several books (History of Animals, Parts of Animals, Generation of Animals, Motion of Animals, Progression of Animals, Parva Naturalia, and De Anima), gives a comprehensive and coherent account of animal lives and life, and is the first such work of its kind. Theophrastus subsequently undertook a similar project with plants, for which he is known as “the father of botany.” Many regard Aristotle as the founder of comparative anatomy because his overall approach is comparative and incorporates a wealth of anatomical and morphological description, his scope is comprehensive, and his methods are rigorous and systematic.

    The extent of his knowledge of particular animals is enormous. Aristotle considers the obscure as well as the familiar and overlooks no important aspect of their lives. His detailed descriptions of marine animals—from the feeding habits of torpedo fish and the “fishing frog” (Lophius piscatorius) to the breeding behavior of catfish—attest to careful and sustained observation with a good eye for selecting the most telling details. His knowledge of many anatomical features seems possible only from direct observation and dissection.

    Aristotle is regarded as the founder of comparative anatomy because his overall approach is comparative and incorporates a wealth of anatomical and morphological description, his scope is comprehensive, and his methods are rigorous and systematic.

source: www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Why does Aristotle devote so much work and attention to thinking about animals as objects of serious study?

    He tells us that: '. . .even in the study of animals unattractive to the senses, the nature that fashioned them offers immeasurable pleasures in the same way to those who can learn the causes (aitias) and are naturally lovers of wisdom (philosophois). . .Therefore we must avoid a childish distaste for examining the less valued animals. For in all natural things there is something wonderful'.

In conclusion, Aristotle - the father of Comparative anatomy invites us to the study of animals not because of its possible utility, but because every animal, no matter how lowly, is a cause of wonder.

DA VINCI'S IMPACT UPON THE MEDICAL WORLD

  INTRODUCTION
 A lesser known aspect of the world that Da Vinci contributed to greatly was the medical world. One specific area that he focused on was the Human Anatomy. During his lifetime, Leonardo dissected at least 30 corpses—both diseased and healthy—as to get a full understanding of the human body. Several people such as Plato and Aristotle had studied the topic beforehand, yet Da Vinci was among the first to provide both accurate drawings and explanations of the anatomy. This is evident from Leonardo’s sketch of the Vitruvian Man. The Vitruvian Man is a drawing of a man who is standing in the middle of a circle and a square. This man is depicted in two different poses, which gives an exact representation of the proportions of the human body. The Vitruvian Man is but a page in notebooks that were full of information about the human body. Da Vinci intended for these notebooks to be used in the medical field. However, these books didn’t take its desirable impact until the 1900s, when two of Leonardo’s notebooks were rediscovered in 1965. In it lay many of Leonardo’s sketches and ideas, which led to the invention and use of many medical methods used today. Some of his inventions and ideas which led to inventions of modernized medical equipment includes:

THE SURGICAL ROBOT

   One of the most famous robots found Da Vinci's notebooks is called Leonardo’s Robot. It was designed as a suit of armor that could stand, sit, wave its arms, and raise its visor through a series of pulleys and mechanics. In 2002, Mark Rosheim built a prototype of Leonardo’s Robot called the Robotic Knight. His prototype was successful, showing us that Leonardo had a full understanding of how the human body and joints worked in order to design the robot. Leonardo’s Robot and his accurate sketches of the human anatomy inspired scientists today to create a surgical robot. The surgical robot was named after Da Vinci and is used today to perform many surgeries such as heart surgery, prostate surgery, hysterectomies, and joint-replacements. This is beneficial to the medical field because it has shown to increase the surgical precision of a doctor, minimize incision size, lessen the risk of transfusion, shorten recovery time, and provide a better environment for doctors by reducing strain and fatigue.

ARTIFICIAL LIMBS AND SYNTHETIC ORGANS

   Da Vinci also contributed to the development of artificial limbs and synthetic organs. His studies on how limbs and organs work have influenced scientists today to create “replacements” of body parts in order for people to function normally. 

CONTACT LENSES

   Though contact lenses were not invented by Leonardo Da Vinci himself, he was the first to think up the idea of the contact lens. In 1508, Da Vinci sketched the very first conceptual model of a contact lens, which contributed to the the invention of the contact lens in 1808. Today, millions of people use contact lenses, as they are convenient for things such as sports, fashion, and studies.

source: www.leonartodavinci.weebly.com and wikipedia

edited by Isaac Sandy

SECRETS ON STUDYING THE BIBLE

INTRODUCTION

   It is important to read the Bible, but simply reading the Bible is not the same as studying. The Divine Word of God deserves respect and ought to be understood and practiced. Most people can find it very hard to understand. The Bible records a long time of history including many cultures and ages, as well as relating and correlating to any modern era; it is translated from the original manuscripts in Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic by reputable scholars. The goal in studying the Bible is to understand the message in the correct context. If you struggle with where to start with your Bible reading, how often to read your Bible, how much to read in one sitting, or how to get things out of it, this article can help.

THE STEPS TO BE CONSIDERED ARE LISTED BELOW:

[I] Plan your study.

   Set aside a time and specific place to study. Develop a plan of what you want to read each day in a calendar. Having a plan excites you to discover what you learn from God's Word for that day; it will also keep you organized, keeping track of what passages you have covered and what lessons you have learnt from each of the passages.

[II] Get a good study Bible.

   Choose a suitable Bible Translation to use during your study. You should select from translations as opposed to simple paraphrases, as this makes sure you are reading the originally translated text not a commentator's interpretation.

• Avoid Bibles that have been translated from Latin, rather than the original Greek and Hebrew. This is because it can get incorrectly translated.
• Always ensure your understanding of a passage you have read fits with the entire doctrine of the Bible (which is God's Redemption Plan of Salvation, 2 John 1:7-10); any revelation you get that does not fit the doctrine of Jesus alone must be cast away. Also you must look at years of Church history to compare your findings with history. If you discover something that everyone in Church history disagrees with, you are most certainly wrong (heretics don't proceed with caution- they go ahead thinking they are the new prophet in town!) To be thus a good student of the Word, you should research. Be careful not to be arrogant in the course of studying. It's so easy to boast of your findings rather than prayerfully meditate on them. Studying extensively is good, you should know what the foundations of the faith are but make sure your ability to recall names of people throughout Church history does not exceed your ability to remember the Scriptures Word for Word! (Food for thought, Joshua 1:7-9) Remember even those who are illiterates can have a deeper understanding of the Word and deeper relationship with God than you do because they meditate on it. Simply knowing names and things is not good enough. You must practice and preach what you practice.
• Good formal equivalence translations include the New Revised Standard Version or the English Standard Version. Good combination translations include Today's New International Version and the Holman Christian Standard Bible. A good dynamic equivalence translation is the Contemporary English Version, although strictly dynamic equivalence translations are usually frowned on by serious scholars.

[III] Study the Bible with an attitude of prayer. 

   This should be the first step in understanding the Bible. Bible study should be approached with a prayerful desire to learn. Discipline yourself to be with the Word. The Bible will come alive for you. It is spiritual food.

[IV] Pray. 

   Ask God to help you understand his word before you even begin. Take the Bible literally. Don't assume a parable or story just because it seems vague. Don't try to interpret the Bible. "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation." (2 Peter 1:20,21).

If these steps listed above are followed properly, you will be amazed at the great achievements you'll achieve. The Bible is a Great book, and every Christian must study the Bible everyday for both spiritual and physical growth.

Do not hold this information to yourself alone, but share it to everyone. You'll certainly solve the problems of many.

visit: dailyscripturalverses.blogspot.com for verses of the Bible that'll be beneficial to you and everyone. you are very free to drop your comments and suggestions.

Happy Reading!

Source: wikihow.com

Edited by: Isaac Sandy

EFFECTS OF PRAISE

Living a life of praise is not only the most enjoyable way to live, but it’s also one of the most powerful ways to change your life. Praise isn’t like the caboose that just follows what happens, but it’s more like the engine of a train that makes things happen. Your faith isn’t complete without praise. Colossians 2:7 says that you abound in faith with thanksgiving. No thanksgiving equals not abounding in faith.

Praise affects you, it affects the devil, and it affects God. It touches everything and every part of your life. Likewise, a lack of praise affects you in a negative way, turns the devil loose in your life, and doesn’t bless God. You have to get this area of your life right.

Nearly everyone agrees that praise is good, but very few feel any responsibility to praise God when they don’t feel like it. I don’t know anyone who wakes up in the morning and plans on being depressed. They would like to be happy and praise God, but they don’t feel they have any control over this. They think that praise is just a response to what happens and that if everything goes right, they will automatically do it. That is definitely not the case.

The Lord told His disciples the night before His crucifixion not to let their hearts be troubled (John 14:1). This wasn’t a suggestion. It was a command. Yet most Christians today would think this was insensitive and unreasonable. They would say that Jesus wasn’t being understanding and compassionate.

These disciples were about to see Jesus arrested and then flee in fear for their lives. They would see Jesus unjustly condemned and then crucified and buried. And He was telling them not to let their hearts be troubled! To the average person, that’s unreasonable.

Jesus ended His discourse to His disciples that evening with a promise that they would have trouble (John 16:33). Wow! What an understatement! Yet He said to be of good cheer. How was this possible? He said it was possible because He had overcome the world.

At the time Jesus said that, He hadn’t been crucified, much less resurrected and seated at the Father’s right hand. It was because of faith that the disciples were supposed to rejoice. He had promised that He would be resurrected and then reign, and if they were in faith, they would rejoice—and so would we.

We live in a negative world, a fallen world where it seems that the ungodly are getting more and more prominent. So much of what we hear is just negative, and we have to make a deliberate effort to be positive and counter the culture we live in. Praise is a great tool to help us achieve that.

If someone were to pass out, the first thing we’d do is check their pulse to see if their heart is still beating. In the same sense, checking our praise lives is how we check our spiritual pulse. If we don’t live lives that are constantly giving thanksgiving and praise unto God, we are not spiritually healthy. Some people may take offense at that, thinking I just don’t know their situations. But Paul said in Philippians 4:4—Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.

Paul didn’t just say it once; he said it twice. He didn’t want anyone thinking he had made a mistake or that there were exceptions to what he said. We are always supposed to be rejoicing in the Lord. It’s a command, not a suggestion to do it if we feel like it.

Paul lived what he preached. When he was beaten and thrown in the deepest darkest part of the dungeon, he and Silas broke out in praise at midnight (Acts 16:22-26). They didn’t just do this as spiritual warfare. They weren’t praising God through gritted teeth, just to get out of their problem. When they were set free, they didn’t leave. They were actually praising God because they loved Him and were worshiping out of a pure heart. It so affected the other prisoners that none of them left either. Praise caused a revival.

We may not feel joyful, but Scripture tells us in Galatians 5:22 that the fruit of the Spirit is joy. If we have the Holy Spirit, we have joy. We may not feel that joy, but we can choose to lift our hands and speak forth praise to God by faith. Learning to praise God even when everything is going badly will change our hearts, make us much more effective, and cause our faith to abound.

I truly believe that my choice to praise God, even after getting the report that my son was dead, was one of the biggest factors in seeing him raised from the dead after nearly five hours. I didn’t know what the outcome would be, but I started praising God with all of my heart and telling Him—and the devil—that regardless, I would not quit serving Him. It was at that moment that faith abounded in my heart, and I knew he would be raised from the dead. Thank You, Jesus!

We have to accept responsibility. We aren’t just elevated animals, responding to stimuli. We are created in the image of God. We can choose to say that we are going to give thanks and rejoice in the Lord. But until we do, we are victims. We will never be victors until we quit being victims. We have to get rid of the excuses and just do what the Word of God says.

Philippians 4:6 says—Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Do you know what the Greek word for “nothing” in that verse means? It means nothing! It means there are no exceptions. Sure, you might have problems, but you don’t have to worry about them. You don’t have to be careful about them. You can go to the Lord in prayer with thanksgiving and make your requests known to Him.

Jesus demonstrated the right way to bring our requests to God. He used what I call the “sandwich technique,” where we sandwich our requests in between two slices of praise. We start with praise, and we end with praise. We can just look at how Jesus did it in the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). He started by praising God: “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” And He finished by praising God: “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.” That’s the way to do it.

Even in the Old Testament, believers were told to “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name” (Psalms 100:4). But the nation of Israel didn’t always do this. In fact, the Lord said that because they did not serve the Lord with joyfulness and gladness for the abundance of all things, He was going to bring judgment upon them (Deuteronomy 28:47-57). This shows that God holds us responsible for rejoicing, praising Him, and being thankful for all the good things He’s given us.

We face a lot of tough circumstances in this life, and the world expects us to behave a certain way when problems come. But God told us to respond a different way—to not let our hearts be troubled. We get to choose (Deuteronomy 30:19). We have the option of following Jesus’ words and acting on the Word of God.

I have personally felt the benefit of rejoicing in the Lord. I have seen it destroy the devil. He cannot stand it. I really believe that God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalms 22:3). God is so pleased when we look beyond the natural and see things in the light of faith. That blesses God.

Praise is not the inevitable byproduct that comes when everything is going right in our lives; it is the driving force. Praise will get our focus where it needs to be—on God. If we start praising God in the middle of our problems, our problems will shrink so much that we’ll hardly remember to bring them to God! We’ll be so busy praising Him and thanking Him for His blessings that our problems will be an afterthought.

source: www.awmi.net

HOW CAN I LIVE A HOLY LIFE?

    In order to address the question of how to live a holy life, we must first understand what Holy means. To be holy means to be set apart or separate from sin and evil. God is holy—completely separate from everything that is evil (1 John 1:5). God calls us to be holy, just as He is (1 Peter 1:16, quoting Leviticus 19:2), but it’s vital to understand that apart from God this is impossible. We must have the Holy Spirit indwelling us and filling us with His holiness. We can only live a holy life through the power of the Spirit; thus, the first step to living a holy life is to accept Jesus as Savior (Ephesians 1:13).

   Once we have taken that step of salvation, we are declared righteous (Romans 5:1). But what does it look like to be actually righteous—to live a holy life? In 1 Thessalonians 4:3–8, Paul emphasizes sexual purity as part of holy living: “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God” (verses 3–5).

   Beyond avoiding sexual immorality and keeping sex within God’s design for marriage, we can live a holy life by being obedient to God in all areas of life (1 Peter 1:14–16). Knowing and obeying God’s Word is key (John 17:17). Hiding God’s Word in our hearts keeps us from sin (Psalm 119:11). When we live in obedience to God, we are staying separate from evil. We are offering our bodies as “living sacrifices” to God (Romans 12:1–2). The purpose of living a holy life is to glorify God and display His nature to those around us (Matthew 5:16). Living a holy life of obedience to God is living in true freedom from the bondage of sin (Romans 6:6).

   It’s not always easy to choose obedience to God, especially if we’re trying to do it all on our own. Satan would love nothing more than to bring us back into bondage through disobedience. But we have the promise, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). The Holy Spirit will produce Christs' likeness in us, and, as we yield to Him, we can live a holy life (Galatians 5:16).

   Here is the mindset we should have: “Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11). Any time we face temptation, we should say, “I’m dead to that! That was part of my old life! I am a new creation in Christ!” (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). To live a holy life, to separate ourselves from sin, we must see ourselves as God does—as born-again children of the Most High, clothed with the righteousness of Christ.

   We also have the benefit of being part of the Body of Christ. Fellowship with other Christians and making ourselves accountable to them is a great source of strength in living a holy life. As Christians, we are called to encourage one another in this matter (Hebrews 10:24–25).

   Remember, we are not trying to live a holy life in order to earn salvation; living a holy life is a natural outgrowth of being saved by God’s grace and filled with His Spirit. It is also important to not give up when we mess up. When we fail, our response should be to confess the sin and keep moving forward in our Christian walk (1 John 1:9). Romans 8:1 says, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” God’s grace doesn’t go away when we make mistakes.

source: www.gotquestions.org

LESSONS FROM MATTHEW CHAPTER 4v1-11 [continued]

Class 2 Temptation

This class of temptation is found in verse 5 and 6 of Matthew 4. 'Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple' (v5) 'And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone' (v6).

     This temptation was stronger than the first. This was because the tempter (devil) used the scripture to tempt Jesus Christ. The devil used the scripture because he knew it, but he used it in the bad way and with  bad intention an motives. The Scripture used by the devil can also be found in the Old Testament (Psalms 91v11-12).
     Jesus Christ was loaded with the word. In fact He is the Word (John 1v1). So when the devil posed a challenge using the word, Jesus Christ issued him a warning which in turn was a reply to his statement. Jesus Christ replied (v7) 'Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God'. He quoted Deuteronomy 6v16.

Jesus Christ mad the following facts known to the devil:

i. He (Jesus) is his (devil) Lord and God

ii. He is superior to the devil

Lessons learnt from Class 2 Temptation includes:

(1) You must have the Gift of Discernment in order to discern the voice of the devil and that of God's Spirit.

(2) Pray always and study the word of God

(3) Do not be afraid when you are tempted because God is always with you to help in times like that.

Class 3 Temptation coming soon. Stay Updated!