Anatomy Classifications
The many subdivisions of anatomy include gross anatomy, microscopic anatomy, and developmental anatomy.
These can be broken down as follows:
General (gross) anatomy:
The study of large body structures that can be seen without a microscope. These include the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and skin. Studies done to understand gross anatomy made use of stuffed animals and their organs.
Regional anatomy:
all the structures of a certain region of the body are examined at the same time. For example, for an arm, the structures being examined would include skin, muscles, bones, nerves, blood vessels, and others.
Systemic anatomy:
Each body system is examined. For example, the heart would be examined when studying the cardiovascular system, but also all the blood vessels in the body. Surface Anatomy:
This is the examination of the internal structures related to the overlying skin surfaces. Surface anatomy is used, for example, to locate the correct blood vessels used for phlebotomy. ■■ Microscopic Anatomy:
The study of small body structures that require a microscope to be seen. This requires making thin sections of tissue, which are then stained and fixed (mounted) on glass slides for microscopic examination. Cytology: A subdivision of microscopic anatomy that focuses on the cells of the body.
Histology:
A subdivision of microscopic anatomy that focuses on the tissues of the body.
Developmental Anatomy:
The study of structural changes in anatomy throughout life. Embryology: A subdivision of developmental anatomy that focuses on the developmental changes that occur before birth.
For medical diagnosis, scientific research, and other highly specialized needs, pathology or radiography may be used. Pathology focuses on disease and structural changes that are the result of disease, while radiographic anatomy focuses on internal structures through the use of X-rays or specialized scanning equipment such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). ) or computed tomography (CT). Molecular anatomy focuses on the structure of chemical substances (biological molecules). Although formally considered a branch of biology, molecular anatomy is still part of the general study of anatomy as it focuses on the subcellular particles of the body.
