What does anatomy consist of

Regional anatomy looks at specific sections of the body and how they work together to carry out numerous functions. The gastrointestinal system and the circulatory system are both examples of the eleven 11 body systems that are focused upon when dealing with systemic anatomy. The study of the structure of organisms at a microscopic level is microscopic anatomy. Microscopic anatomy is sometimes used interchangeably with histology but that is incorrect as microscopic anatomy includes both histology and cytology.

Histology studies how cells are the building blocks of the body and so develop from cells to tissues into organs and organ systems. These different levels of development come together to create a living thing. However, microscopic anatomy deals with only tissues and smaller entities since these are the only ones that can fit under the microscope. As said above, microscopic anatomy involves both histology and cytology.

Both of these involve the thin slicing of organs to obtain specimens for the microscopes. This can be done on either live or dead cells and tissues. These are then dyed in order to obtain a contrast and visibility between different organelles and components of the cells and tissues.

This method makes the studying of the anatomy of miniature body parts easier to do. Aside from macroscopic and microscopic anatomy, there are many other branches of anatomy.

The five main ones are embryology , developmental anatomy , radiographic anatomy, and pathological anatomy. As the name implies, embryology is the study of the embryo of an animal. An embryo exists during the period of time from which the egg is fertilized to the eighth week of the life of an organism.

It is often described as the basis for the comprehension of how nervous systems and other crucial parts of the animal develop and function. This study has also in recent times, helped with the study of stem cells and how they can relate to cancer. The study of developmental anatomy is a wider and longer study than embryology as it studies from the moment of fertilization all the way into adulthood.

This study puts the anatomy meaning into perspective as it concentrates on all aspects of the body form. Radiographic anatomy uses radiology in the form of x-rays to study the body and all its systems and organs. These can be radiographs or computerized tomography CT scans. These take the three-dimensional form of the body and put it into a two-dimensional picture so that the real-time look of the systems can be observed by a radiologist or medical doctor.

The study of anatomy as it is altered by disease is known as pathological anatomy. This study helps the diagnosis and treatment of countless diseases through microscopic analysis of samples from bodily fluids , tissues, organs, and sometimes the entire body or autopsy.

This is the branch of anatomy that is most popular throughout the world and for obvious reasons. We as humans are always curious as to how our body works and how it functions.

However, before you know how the parts of the body work you need to know the structure or form. This is where human anatomy comes in. The way the human body is organized is a special system in itself. We start from the cell, which is the building block of the body. Cells come together to form tissues, tissues form organs that combine to form organ systems.

These 11 body systems then form the human body. Cells are the smallest unit in the body and every other body part is made up of cells. The fundamental type of cell is the stem cell, which can develop into any kind of specialized cell needed by the body. Through microscopic anatomy, people can learn about the structure of cells and how they relate to each other. For example, if a person has cancer , examining the tissue under the microscope will reveal how the cancerous cells are acting and how they affect healthy tissue.

A researcher may apply histological techniques such as sectioning and staining to tissues and cells. They may then examine them under an electron or light microscope. The aim of staining tissues and cells is to add or enhance color.

This makes it easier to identify the specific tissues under investigation. Histology is vital for the understanding and advancement of medicine, veterinary medicine, biology, and other aspects of life science. In teaching labs, histology slides can help students learn about the microstructures of biological tissues. Doctors take tissue samples, or biopsies , from people who may have cancer or other illnesses and send the samples to a lab, where a histologist can analyze them.

If a person dies unexpectedly, the microscopic study of specific biological tissues can help experts discover the cause. As in forensic investigations, experts study tissues from deceased people and animals to understand the causes of death. Biological samples from archeological sites can provide useful data about what was happening thousands of years ago. People who work in histology laboratories are called histotechnicans, histotechnologists, or histology technicians. These people prepare the samples for analysis.

Histopathologists, also known as pathologists, study and analyze the samples. The technician will use special skills to process samples of biological tissues. The tissues may come from:.

The process involves:. What is gross anatomy? What is histology? What is physiology? Learning objectiveS Define the terms anatomy and physiology, and give specific examples to show the interrelationship between anatomy and physiology.

Defining Anatomy Human anatomy is the study of the structure of the human body. Learning Objectives Define the two major subtypes of anatomy. Key Takeaways Key Points Gross anatomy is subdivided into surface anatomy the external body , regional anatomy specific regions of the body , and systemic anatomy specific organ systems. Microscopic anatomy is subdivided into cytology the study of cells and histology the study of tissues.

Anatomy is closely related to physiology study of function , biochemistry chemical processes of living things , comparative anatomy similarities and differences between species , and embryology development of embryos. Knowledge of anatomy is needed to understand human biology and medicine. Key Terms anatomy : The study of the body structure of animals.

Sometimes called superficial anatomy. Gross or macroscopic anatomy : The study of anatomical features visible to the naked eye, such as internal organs and external features.

Learning Objectives Describe physiology in the context of living systems. Key Takeaways Key Points The study of physiology occurs at many levels, including organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and biomolecules. Physiology investigates the processes and mechanisms that allow a living thing to survive, grow, and develop. Homeostasis is the maintenance of the overall stability of physiological processes of the body.

It is monitored by the brain and nervous system and regulated by the physiology and activity of individual organs. While anatomy deals with the structure of the parts of an organism, physiology studies the way that the parts function together. Key Terms homeostasis : The ability of a system or living organism to adjust its internal environment to maintain a stable equilibrium, such as the ability of warm-blooded animals to maintain a constant internal temperature despite changes in outdoor temperature.

Living Systems : Open, self-organizing living things that interact with their environments. These systems are maintained by flows of information, energy, and matter.