anatomy anatomy anatomy (from ancient greek ἀνατομή (anatomḗ) 'dissection') is the branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organisms and their parts. anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. it is an old science, having its beginnings in prehistoric times. anatomy is inherently tied to developmental biology, embryology, comparative anatomy, evolutionary biology, and phylogeny, as these are the processes by which anatomy is generated, both over immediate and long-term timescales. anatomy and physiology, which study the structure and function of organisms and their parts respectively, make a natural pair of related disciplines, and are often studied together. human anatomy is one of the essential basic sciences that are applied in medicine. one of the large, detailed illustrations in andreas vesalius's de humani corporis fabrica 16th century, marking the rebirth of anatomy part of a series onbiologyscience of life index outline glossary history (timeline) key components cell theory ecosystem evolution phylogeny properties of life adaptation energy processing growth order regulation reproduction response to environment domains and kingdoms of life archaea bacteria eukarya (animals, fungi, plants, protists) branches anatomy biotechnology botany cell biology ecology evolutionary biology genetics marine biology microbiology molecular biology mycology neuroscience paleontology phycology physiology protistology virology zoology research biologist (list) list of biology awards list of journals list of research methods list of unsolved problems applications agricultural science biomedical sciences health technology pharming biology portal category anatomy is a complex and dynamic field that is constantly evolving as new discoveries are made. in recent years, there has been a significant increase in the use of advanced imaging techniques, such as mri and ct scans, which allow for more detailed and accurate visualizations of the body's structures. the discipline of anatomy is divided into macroscopic and microscopic. macroscopic anatomy, or gross anatomy, is the examination of an animal's body parts using unaided eyesight. gross anatomy also includes the branch of superficial anatomy. microscopic anatomy involves the use of optical instruments in the study of the tissues of various structures, known as histology, and also in the study of cells. the history of anatomy is characterized by a progressive understanding of the functions of the organs and structures of the human body. methods have also improved dramatically, advancing from the examination of animals by dissection of carcasses and cadavers (corpses) to 20th century medical imaging techniques, including x-ray, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging. etymology and definition a dissected body, lying prone on a table, by charles landseer derived from the greek ἀνατομή anatomē "dissection" (from ἀνατέμνω anatémnō "i cut up, cut open" from ἀνά aná "up," and τέμνω témnō "i cut"), anatomy is the scientific study of the structure of organisms including their systems, organs and tissues. it includes the appearance and position of the various parts, the materials from which they are composed, and their relationships with other parts. anatomy is quite distinct from physiology and biochemistry, which deal respectively with the functions of those parts and the chemical processes involved. for example, an anatomist is concerned with the shape, size, position, structure, blood supply and innervation of an organ such as the liver; while a physiologist is interested in the production of bile, the role of the liver in nutrition and the regulation of bodily functions. the discipline of anatomy can be subdivided into a number of branches, including gross or macroscopic anatomy and microscopic anatomy. gross anatomy is the study of structures large enough to be seen with the naked eye, and also includes superficial anatomy or surface anatomy, the study by sight of the external body features. microscopic anatomy is the study of structures on a microscopic scale, along with histology (the study of tissues), and embryology (the study of an organism in its immature condition). regional anatomy is the study of the interrelationships of all of the structures in a specific body region, such as the abdomen. in contrast, 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, such as the digestive system. anatomy can be studied using both invasive and non-invasive methods with the goal of obtaining information about the structure and organization of organs and systems. methods used include dissection, in which a body is opened and its organs studied, and endoscopy, in which a video camera-equipped instrument is inserted through a small incision in the body wall and used to explore the internal organs and other structures. angiography using x-rays or magnetic resonance angiography are methods to visualize blood vessels. the term "anatomy" is commonly taken to refer to human anatomy. however, substantially similar structures and tissues are found throughout the rest of the animal kingdom, and the term also includes the anatomy of other animals. the term zootomy is also sometimes used to specifically refer to non-human animals. the structure and tissues of plants are of a dissimilar nature and they are studied in plant anatomy. animal tissues stylized cutaway diagram of an animal cell (with flagella) the kingdom animalia contains multicellular organisms that are heterotrophic and motile (although some have secondarily adopted a sessile lifestyle). most animals have bodies differentiated into separate tissues and these animals are also known as eumetazoans. they have an internal digestive chamber, with one or two openings; the gametes are produced in multicellular sex organs, and the zygotes include a blastula stage in their embryonic development. metazoans do not include the sponges, which have undifferentiated cells. unlike plant cells, animal cells have neither a cell wall nor chloroplasts. vacuoles, when present, are more in number and much smaller than those in the plant cell. the body tissues are composed of numerous types of cell, including those found in muscles, nerves and skin. each typically has a cell membrane formed of phospholipids, cytoplasm and a nucleus. all of the different cells of an animal are derived from the embryonic germ layers. those simpler invertebrates which are formed from two germ layers of ectoderm and endoderm are called diploblastic and the more developed animals whose structures and organs are formed from three germ layers are called triploblastic. all of a triploblastic animal's tissues and organs are derived from the three germ layers of the embryo, the ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm. animal tissues can be grouped into four basic types: connective, epithelial, muscle and nervous tissue. hyaline cartilage at high magnification (h&e stain) connective tissue connective tissues are fibrous and made up of cells scattered among inorganic material called the extracellular matrix. connective tissue gives shape to organs and holds them in place. the main types are loose connective tissue, adipose tissue, fibrous connective tissue, cartilage and bone. the extracellular matrix contains proteins, the chief and most abundant of which is collagen. collagen plays a major part in organizing and maintaining tissues. the matrix can be modified to form a skeleton to support or protect the body. an exoskeleton is a thickened, rigid cuticle which is stiffened by mineralization, as in crustaceans or by the cross-linking of its proteins as in insects. an endoskeleton is internal and present in all developed animals, as well as in many of those less developed. epithelium gastric mucosa at low magnification (h&e stain) epithelial tissue is composed of closely packed cells, bound to each other by cell adhesion molecules, with little intercellular space. epithelial cells can be squamous (flat), cuboidal or columnar and rest on a basal lamina, the upper layer of the basement membrane, the lower layer is the reticular lamina lying next to the connective tissue in the extracellular matrix secreted by the epithelial cells. there are many different types of epithelium, modified to suit a particular function. in the respiratory tract there is a type of ciliated epithelial lining; in the small intestine there are microvilli on the epithelial lining and in the large intestine there are intestinal villi. skin consists of an outer layer of keratinized stratified squamous epithelium that covers the exterior of the vertebrate body. keratinocytes make up to 95% of the cells in the skin. the epithelial cells on the external surface of the body typically secrete an extracellular matrix in the form of a cuticle. in simple animals this may just be a coat of glycoproteins. in more advanced animals, many glands are formed of epithelial cells. muscle tissue cross section through skeletal muscle and a small nerve at high magnification (h&e stain) muscle cells (myocytes) form the active contractile tissue of the body. muscle tissue functions to produce force and cause motion, either locomotion or movement within internal organs. muscle is formed of contractile filaments and is separated into three main types; smooth muscle, skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle. smooth muscle has no striations when examined microscopically. it contracts slowly but maintains contractibility over a wide range of stretch lengths. it is found in such organs as sea anemone tentacles and the body wall of sea cucumbers. skeletal muscle contracts rapidly but has a limited range of extension. it is found in the movement of appendages and jaws. obliquely striated muscle is intermediate between the other two. the filaments are staggered and this is the type of muscle found in earthworms that can extend slowly or make rapid contractions. in higher animals striated muscles occur in bundles attached to bone to provide movement and are often arranged in antagonistic sets. smooth muscle is found in the walls of the uterus, bladder, intestines, stomach, oesophagus, respiratory airways, and blood vessels. cardiac muscle is found only in the heart, allowing it to contract and pump blood round the body. nervous tissue