ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

1.  • Define anatomy and physiology, and name several subspecialties

of these sciences.

Two branches of science—anatomy and physiology—provide

the foundation for understanding the body’s parts and functions.

Anatomy

(a-NAT-o¯-me¯; ana- up; -tomy process of cutting)

is the science of body

structures and the relationships among

them. It was first studied by

dissection (dis-SEK-shun; dis-

apart;

-section act of cutting), the careful cutting apart of body

structures to study their relationships. Today, a variety of imaging

techniques (see

Table 1.3 on page 21) also contribute to the

advancement of anatomical knowledge. Whereas anatomy deals

with structures of the body,

physiology (fiz -e¯-OL-o¯-je¯; physio-

nature;

-logy study of) is the science of body functions—how

the body parts work.

Table 1.1 describes several subspecialties

of anatomy and physiology.

Because structure and function are so closely related, you will

learn about the human body by studying its anatomy and

physiology together. The structure of a part of the body allows

performance of certain functions. For example, the bones of the

skull join tightly to form a rigid case that protects the brain. The

bones of the fingers are more loosely joined to allow a variety of

movements. The walls of the air sacs in the lungs are very thin,