Anatomy is the branch
of biology concerned with
the study of the structure of organisms and their parts.[1] Anatomy is
inherently tied to embryology, comparative anatomy, evolutionary biology, and phylogeny,[2] as these are the
processes by which anatomy is generated over immediate (embryology) and long
(evolution) timescales. Human anatomy is one of the basic essential sciences
of medicine.[3]
The discipline of anatomy is divided
into macroscopic and microscopic anatomy. 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.
Anatomy and physiology, which study (respectively) the
structure and function of
organisms and their parts, make a natural pair of related disciplines, and they are often studied together.