Researchers from Imperial College London have proven the scientific theory of Leonardo da Vinci, which he drew five hundred years ago, writes Nature.
The picture shows a human heart with a network of fibers that, according to the Italian inventor, warm the blood.
Scientists have taken tens of thousands of MRI scans of the heart and have identified myocardial trabeculae in the images, which help blood flow more efficiently through the heart.
“Leonardo da Vinci drew these complex muscles inside the heart half a millennium ago, and only now are we beginning to understand how important they are to human health,” the researchers said.
New data will help scientists develop new treatments for heart failure.