bild

Human foetus. Historical artwork of a human foetus by the Italian artist and scientist, Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519). The foetus is pictured within an opened uterus. The umbilical cord connecting the foetus to the mother's placenta is the thin strand seen at lower centre. It provides the foetus with oxygen and nutrients. Da Vinci studied human anatomy by observation and dissection. He produced a detailed series of annotated anatomical drawings, which are amongst the most significant scientific achievements of the Renaissance period. (KEYSTONE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/SHEILA TERRY)