Cranioscopy
Encyclopedia
Cranioscopy is a term created by Franz Joseph Gall
(1758-1828), a German neuroanatomist
and physiologist
who was a pioneer in the study of the localization of mental functions in the brain
, to name his technique to infer brain localization of function on the basis of the external anatomy of the skull
or cranium.
"Cranioscopy, later known as phrenology, [proposes] that the shape of a person's skull revealed his or her intellectual and emotional characteristics."
Cranioscopy is the basis of phrenology
, but was later proved to be unscientific.
Franz Joseph Gall
Franz Joseph Gall was a neuroanatomist, physiologist, and pioneer in the study of the localization of mental functions in the brain.- Life :...
(1758-1828), a German neuroanatomist
Neuroanatomy
Neuroanatomy is the study of the anatomy and organization of the nervous system. In contrast to animals with radial symmetry, whose nervous system consists of a distributed network of cells, animals with bilateral symmetry have segregated, defined nervous systems, and thus we can begin to speak of...
and physiologist
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
who was a pioneer in the study of the localization of mental functions in the brain
Human brain
The human brain has the same general structure as the brains of other mammals, but is over three times larger than the brain of a typical mammal with an equivalent body size. Estimates for the number of neurons in the human brain range from 80 to 120 billion...
, to name his technique to infer brain localization of function on the basis of the external anatomy of the skull
Human skull
The human skull is a bony structure, skeleton, that is in the human head and which supports the structures of the face and forms a cavity for the brain.In humans, the adult skull is normally made up of 22 bones...
or cranium.
"Cranioscopy, later known as phrenology, [proposes] that the shape of a person's skull revealed his or her intellectual and emotional characteristics."
Cranioscopy is the basis of phrenology
Phrenology
Phrenology is a pseudoscience primarily focused on measurements of the human skull, based on the concept that the brain is the organ of the mind, and that certain brain areas have localized, specific functions or modules...
, but was later proved to be unscientific.