anatomy

We know that biology is the study that is concerned with everything involving a life form, including its structure, behavior, origin, growth, and reproduction.

Biology encompasses diverse fields, including anatomy, ecology, evolution, genetics, medicine, microbiology, physiology, zoology, and many more. 

Now, we will take a close look into one very important branch of biology, called Anatomy.

In this lesson, we are going to learn about:

• Anatomy
• Macroscopic anatomy
• Microscopic anatomy
• Techniques of study of macroscopic and microscopic anatomy
• Other anatomy branches

 

What is anatomy?

Anatomy is the branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organisms and their parts, including their systems, organs, and tissues. Muscles, bones, tissues, cells, nerves, organs of organisms, are only a few things learned in anatomy. Anatomy is much more. From the examination of the smallest structures of the body - cells, tissues, and molecules; to studying different parts of the body, organs, organ systems; until comparing the anatomies of different species. 

Before we go further, let's explain the terms used to describe the field of study of anatomy.

• Cells are the basic building blocks of all living things.  
• The tissue is a cellular organizational level between cells and a complete organ.
• An organ is a self-contained group of tissues that performs a specific function in the body. The heart, kidneys, and brain are examples of organs in humans. Roots, leaves, the stem, are examples of organs in plants.  The stomach, liver, lungs, are examples of organs found in animals. 
• An organ system is a group of organs that work together as a biological system to perform one or more functions, for example, the skeletal system muscular system, circulatory system, digestive system.

The term 'anatomy' derives from the ancient Greek anatomē "dissection". Anatomy is an ancient natural science that has its beginnings in prehistoric times. As a father of modern anatomy is considered Andreas Vesalius, who was a Belgian anatomist and physician, born in 1514 into a family of physicians. 

Anatomy has many branches, but it is mainly divided into:

• macroscopic anatomy 
• microscopic anatomy

 

Macroscopic anatomy

Macroscopic or gross anatomy is the study of anatomy at the visible or macroscopic level. It is the study of anatomical structures that can be seen by the naked eye, such as the external and internal bodily organs.

Gross anatomy is subdivided into:

• surface anatomy,
• regional anatomy, and
• systemic anatomy.

Surface anatomy

This branch of gross anatomy examines shapes and markings on the surface of the body, as they relate to deeper structures. Surface anatomy helps healthcare personnel in diagnosing medical conditions and treating patients. 

Regional anatomy

Regional anatomy focuses on specific external and internal regions of the body (such as the head or chest) and how different systems work together in that region, or how muscles, nerves, blood vessels, and other structures work.

Systemic anatomy

It is the study of the structures that make up a discrete body system, that is, a group of structures that work together to perform a unique body function.  It focuses on the anatomy of different organ systems, such as the respiratory, circulatory, digestive system, and other organ systems.

Techniques of study of macroscopic anatomy

The study of gross anatomy may involve different methods with an aim to collect data about the larger structures of organs and organ systems. Using less invasive methods or invasive methods. They include:

• Magnetic resonance imaging, which is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to form pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes of the body.
• Computed tomography, which is a medical imaging technique that uses computer-processed combinations of multiple X-ray measurements taken from different angles, to produce tomographic images of a body. The internal body can be seen without cutting.
• X-ray radiography, which is an imaging technique that uses beams of electromagnetic waves (x-rays) to produce radiographs that depict the tissues in two dimensions based on their density.
• Endoscopy, which is inserting a tube with a camera at its end, into living animals, with an aim to observe an internal organ or tissue in detail.
• Angiography also called arteriography, which is a medical imaging technique used to visualize the inside, or lumen, of blood vessels and organs of the body. Its particular interests are arteries, veins, and heart chambers. A radio-opaque contrast agent is injected into the blood vessel and imaging using X-ray based techniques.
• Dissection, which means cutting up a body so as to reveal its structure. Dissections are regularly done in autopsies to help determine the cause of death.

Microscopic anatomy

Microscopic anatomy is a branch of anatomy that relies on the use of microscopes to examine the smallest structures of the body - tissues, cells, and molecules. Microscopic anatomy is subdivided into cytology and histology. Cytology is the study of individual cells of the body, as opposed to histology which is the study of whole tissue itself.

Techniques of study of microscopic anatomy

 A variety of techniques are used in microscopic anatomy. They may include:

• Tissue culture, which is a method in which fragments of a plant or animal tissue are introduced into a new, artificial environment, where they continue to function or grow.
• Electron microscopy, which is a technique for obtaining high-resolution images, used in biomedical research to investigate the detailed structure of tissues, cells, organelles, and macromolecular complexes. 
• Optical microscopy, which is a technique in which the optical microscope, also called the light microscope, is used for studying. It combines light and lenses to magnify an image. They are used for viewing small objects such as cells. 
• X-ray diffraction, which is a technique used to determine the atomic and molecular structures.

Anatomy branches

Apart from the upper-division of anatomy, we can discuss in a way that anatomy can refer to several scientific studies, that focus on physical structures and parts of organisms. Different organisms are studied in different branches of anatomy. Let's see what are they. 

Human anatomy

Human anatomy is also known as "anthropotomy" and is the study of the human body. This study helps us to take a close look into the complex nature of the human body and the different systems of the human body. Human anatomy is crucial for medicine.

Zootomy

Zootomy is animal anatomy especially as studied on a comparative basis. Zootomy focuses on the dissection and study of the bodily parts and structures of animals.

Phytotomy

Phytotomy or plant anatomy is the general term for the study of the internal structure of plants. Some studies of plant anatomy use a systems approach, organized on the basis of the plant's activities, such as nutrient transport, flowering, pollination, seed development, and transport of nutrients. And some are divided into the following structural categories: flower anatomy, leaf anatomy, stem anatomy, fruit/seed anatomy, wood anatomy, and root anatomy.

Comparative anatomy

Comparative anatomy is the study of similarities and differences in the anatomy of different species.  It can help us to understand the adaptive changes different organisms have undergone in the course of evolution from common ancestors.

The above illustration is an example of the comparative anatomy of the Canine, Bovine, and Equine Forelimb.

Canine includes any of 36 living species of foxes, wolves, jackals, and other members of the dog family.

Bovine includes not only cows and oxen but also goats, sheep, bison, and buffalo.

Equine includes the modern horses, zebras, and asses, as well as more than 60 species known only from fossils.

 

Let's summarize:

• Anatomy is a very important branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organisms and their parts, including their systems, organs, and tissues. 
• It is mainly divided into macroscopic anatomy and microscopic anatomy.
• Macroscopic anatomy studies anatomical structures that can be seen by the naked eye, such as the external and internal bodily organs.
• Microscopic anatomy studies the structure of cells, tissues, and organs of the body as seen with a microscope.
• A variety of techniques are used in microscopic anatomy and macroscopic anatomy.
• Human anatomy is the study of the human body.
• Zootomy is animal anatomy especially as studied on a comparative basis.
• Phytotomy or plant anatomy is the general term for the study of the internal structure of plants.
• Comparative anatomy is the study of similarities and differences in the anatomy of different species.