Basics Of Anatomy

Basics Of Anatomy

Human anatomy is the scientific study of the body’s structures. Some of these structures are very small and can only be observed and analyzed with the assistance of a microscope. Other larger structures can readily be seen, manipulated, measured, and weighed. 

The word “anatomy” comes from a Greek root that means “to cut apart.” When a body is dissected, its structures are cut apart in order to observe their physical attributes and their relationships to one another.

Anatomy has areas of specialization which is Gross anatomy and Microscopic anatomy.

Gross anatomy:

Is the study of the larger structures of the body, those visible without the aid of magnification (Figure 1a) . Macro- means “large,” thus, gross anatomy is also referred to as macroscopic anatomy. In contrast, micro- means “small,”.

Microscopic anatomy:

Is the study of structures that can be observed only with the use of a microscope or other magnification devices (Figure 1 b). Microscopic anatomy includes cytology, the study of cells and histology, the study of tissues.

 FIGURE 1

Anatomists take two general approaches to the study of the body’s structures: regional and systemic. 

Regional anatomy is the study of the interrelationships of all of the structures in a specific body region, such as the abdomen. Studying regional anatomy helps us appreciate the interrelationships of body structures, such as how muscles, nerves, blood vessels, and other structures work together to serve a particular body region.

Systemic anatomy 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. For example, a systemic anatomical study of the muscular system would consider all of the skeletal muscles of the body.

• The integumentary system (dermatology) consists of the skin (L. integumentum, a covering) and its appendages—hairs, nails, and sweat glands, for example—and the subcutaneous tissue just beneath it. The skin, an extensive sensory organ, forms the body’s outer, protective covering

and container.

• The skeletal system (osteology) consists of bones and cartilage; it provides our basic shape and support for the body and is what the muscular system acts on to produce movement. It also protects vital organs such as the heart, lungs, and pelvic organs.

• The articular system (arthrology) consists of joints and their associated ligaments, connecting the bony parts of the skeletal system and providing the sites at which movements occur.

• The muscular system (myology) consists of skeletal muscles that act (contract) to move or position parts of the body (e.g., the bones that articulate at joints), or smooth and cardiac muscle that propels, expels, or controls the flow of fluids and contained substance.

• The nervous system (neurology) consists of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and the peripheral nervous system (nerves and ganglia, together with their motor and sensory endings). The nervous system controls and coordinates the functions of the organ systems, enabling the body’s responses to and activities within its environment. The sense organs, including the olfactory organ (sense of smell), eye or visual system (ophthalmology), ear (sense of hearing and balance—otology), and gustatory organ (sense of taste), are often considered with the nervous system in systemic anatomy.

• The circulatory system (angiology) consists of the cardio vascular and lymphatic systems, which function in parallel to transport the body’s fluids.

• The cardiovascular system (cardiology) consists of the heart and blood vessels that propel and conduct blood through the body, delivering oxygen, nutrients, and hormones to cells and removing their waste products.

• The lymphatic system is a network of lymphatic vessels that withdraws excess tissue fl uid (lymph) from the body’s interstitial (intercellular) fluid compartment, filters it through lymph nodes, and returns it to the bloodstream.

• The alimentary or digestive system (gastroenterology) consists of the digestive tract from the mouth to the anus, with all its associated organs and glands that function in ingestion, mastication (chewing), deglutition (swallowing), digestion, and absorption of food and the elimination of the solid waste (feces) remaining after the nutrients have been absorbed.

• The respiratory system (pulmonology) consists of the air passages and lungs that supply oxygen to the blood for cellular respiration and eliminate carbon dioxide from it. The diaphragm and larynx control the flow of air through the system, which may also produce tone in the larynx that is further modified by the tongue, teeth, and lips into speech.

• The urinary system (urology) consists of the kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra, which filter blood and subsequently produce, transport, store, and intermittently excrete urine (liquid waste).

• The genital (reproductive) system (gynecology for females; andrology for males) consists of the gonads (ovaries and testes) that produce oocytes (eggs) and sperms, the ducts that transport them, and the genitalia that enable their union. After conception, the female reproductive tract nourishes and delivers the fetus.

• The endocrine system (endocrinology) consists of specialized structures that secrete hormones, including discrete ductless endocrine glands (such as the thyroid gland), isolated and clustered cells of the gut and blood vessel walls, and specialized nerve endings. Hormones are organic molecules that are carried by the circulatory system to distant effector cells in all parts of the body. The influence of the endocrine system is thus as broadly distributed as that of the nervous system. Hormones influence metabolism and other processes, such as the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and parturition (childbirth).

The passive skeletal and articular systems and the active muscular system collectively constitute a supersystem, the locomotor system or apparatus (orthopedics), because they must work together to produce locomotion of the body.

Clinical anatomy (applied anatomy): emphasizes aspects of bodily structure and function important in the practice of medicine, dentistry, and the allied health sciences. It incorporates the regional and systemic approaches to studying anatomy and stresses clinical application.

Video explanation on: 

https://youtu.be/FShKEFp7HjY

References( in APA style):

https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology/pages/1-introduction.

• Moore, K. L., & Dalley, A. F. (1999). Clinically oriented anatomy. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.