Topics include the subdisciplines of Anatomy (incl: Gross Anatomy, Regional Anatomy . Also presented is Anatomic Position, and Directional Terms Used in Anatomy (incl: cranial, caudal, superior, inferior, anterior, posterior, ventral & dorsal
INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN ANATOMY - PART 1 ( Students can easily Understand and Remember these
notes)
Anatomy: The Scientific Study of Body Structure
Anatomy is the scientific study of body structure, also known as morphology. It involves the study of the
development of the body, from embryos to adults. The study of anatomy also includes medical
terminology, which is composed of Greek and Latin roots.
The Meaning of Anatomy
The word anatomy is derived from two Greek roots, ana and tome. Ana means “up” and tome means “to
cut.” Therefore, anatomy is the study of cutting up the body to examine its structure.
Examples of Greek Roots
The root tone in Greek means “to cut.” For example, tonsillectomy means to cut out the tonsils, while
appendectomy means to cut out the appendix. Another example is computerized axial tomography
(CAT), which creates images of the body as if it had been cut into sections.
The Father of Modern Anatomy
Andreas Vesalius, a Belgian physician who lived in the 16 th century, is considered the father of modern
anatomy. He paid grave diggers to dig up human bodies so that he and his students could dissect them.
His work, called the Jumani Coporus Fabrica, contains some of the finest anatomical drawings.
The Nomina Anatomica
The international congress of anatomists meets every year to agree on the official names of the different
parts of the body. For example, the thigh bone is called the femur everywhere in the world. These are
scientific names, not English or any other language.
The Difference Between Anatomy and Physiology
Anatomy and physiology are not the same thing. Anatomy is the study of body structure, while
physiology is the study of how the body works. Physiology involves describing how things work in terms
of biochemical processes.
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