Introduction Of Anatomy

Definition:

Anatomy is the study of structures of living things, so it's the branch of science that describes
what body parts like your fingers, mouth, nose, heart, and lungs look like. The word anatomy comes
from the Greek language and means to cut (tomy) apart (ana). Cutting apart or dissecting animals was a
way that early scientists learned about body parts and how they fit together.
The parts of your body work together and perform jobs that help you live your life. The structure of a
body part helps to determine what it can do for you. For example, your heart is a strong muscle, which
makes it great at pumping blood through the miles of blood vessels in your body. 

Branches of Anatomy:

Surface anatomy:
Surface anatomy,
as the named indicates, is anatomy of the surface of human body structures.
It is also known as topographic anatomy. Surface anatomy establishes a
relation between the internal structures of human body with its surface. It
enables a medical professional to locate the position of internal organs from
surface of the body and therefore it is very important for surgical operations.
regional anatomy - the study of anatomy based on regions or divisions of the body and emphasizing
the relations between various structures (muscles and nerves and arteries etc.)

Surface anatomy
Surface anatomy (also called superficial anatomy and visual anatomy) is the study of the
external features of the body of an animal. In birds this is termed topography. Surface
anatomy deals with anatomical features that can be studied by sight, without dissection. As
such, it is a branch of gross anatomy, along with endoscopic and radiological anatomy.
Surface anatomy is a descriptive science. In particular, in the case of human surface
anatomy, these are the form and proportions of the human body and the surface landmarks
which correspond to deeper structures hidden from view, both in static pose and in motion.
In addition, the science of surface anatomy includes the theories and systems of body
proportions and related artistic canons. The study of surface anatomy is the basis for
depicting the human body in classical art. Some pseudo-sciences such as physiognomy,
phrenology and palmistry rely on surface anatomy.
Anatomical Position Definition
Standard anatomical position is a way of describing the anatomy of
an organism so that it is easy to understand what part of the body is being
talked about no matter what direction the organism is facing or where its
appendages/limbs are. In humans, standard anatomical position is defined as
standing up straight with the body at rest.X

Function of Standard Anatomical Position

The purpose of standard anatomical position is to be able to clearly talk about
different parts of moving organisms no matter how they are moving or what
position they are in. This makes it easier to avoid confusion when discussing
anatomy. In humans, standard anatomical position is with the body standing up
straight and facing forward, with arms by the sides of the body and palms facing
forward. The legs are straight, and the feet are slightly apart from one another
and turned outward slightly. This is used as a starting point for describing the
body. In animals that are quadrupedal, or walk on four legs, standard anatomical
position is with all four feet on the ground so that the belly of the animal is
roughly parallel with the ground.

Relative Locations of the Body

Anatomical Position Definition

Standard anatomical position is a way of describing the anatomy of an organism so that it is easy to
understand what part of the body is being talked about no matter what direction the organism is facing
or where its appendages/limbs are. In humans, standard anatomical position is defined as standing up
straight with the body at rest.

Function of Standard Anatomical Position

The purpose of standard anatomical position is to be able to clearly talk about different parts of moving
organisms no matter how they are moving or what position they are in. This makes it easier to avoid
confusion when discussing anatomy. In humans, standard anatomical position is with the body standing
up straight and facing forward, with arms by the sides of the body and palms facing forward. The legs
are straight, and the feet are slightly apart from one another and turned outward slightly. This is used as
a starting point for describing the body. In animals that are quadrupedal, or walk on four legs, standard
anatomical position is with all four feet on the ground so that the belly of the animal is roughly parallel
with the ground.

Relative Locations of the Body

Directional Terms

Anatomical Position Definition

Standard anatomical position is a way of describing the anatomy of
an organism so that it is easy to understand what part of the body is being
talked about no matter what direction the organism is facing or where its
appendages/limbs are. In humans, standard anatomical position is defined as
standing up straight with the body at rest.

Function of Standard Anatomical Position

The purpose of standard anatomical position is to be able to clearly talk about
different parts of moving organisms no matter how they are moving or what
position they are in. This makes it easier to avoid confusion when discussing
anatomy. In humans, standard anatomical position is with the body standing up
straight and facing forward, with arms by the sides of the body and palms facing
forward. The legs are straight, and the feet are slightly apart from one another
and turned outward slightly. This is used as a starting point for describing the
body. In animals that are quadrupedal, or walk on four legs, standard anatomical
position is with all four feet on the ground so that the belly of the animal is
roughly parallel with the ground.

Relative Locations of the Body

This diagram depicts the body in standard anatomical position and uses
positional labels. Let’s take a more detailed look at the labels used for different
parts of the anatomy. They are regarded as axes because they are used to
describe how near or far a body part is from an end of the organism.
Superior-Inferior
Superior and inferior come from the Latin words meaning “above” and below”. In
standard anatomical position, the head is the most superior part of the body, and
the feet are the most inferior.X

Medial-Lateral
Lateral describes the parts of the body that are toward the sides, while medial
describes the middle of the body. If a part of the body is lateral, it can mean left
lateral or right lateral. The left and right sides of an organism refer to the left
and right sides as viewed by that organism. In standard anatomical position, a
person’s right hand is on the viewer’s left, since they are facing opposite the
viewer.

Dorsal-Ventral
The dorsal side is the back side of an organism; think of the dorsal fin of a fish.
The ventral side is the belly side of an organism. When a human is in standard
anatomical position, the ventral side is facing the viewer. When a four-legged
animal such as a dog is in standard anatomical position, the ventral side is their
belly, which is parallel to the ground.

Cranial-Caudal
Cranial refers to being closer to the head, while caudal refers to being closer to
the tail. These terms are usually used to describe the anatomy of quadrupedal
organisms with tails, and not humans.
The terms rostral and caudal are used when referring to the skull. The area
toward the frontal lobes of the brain is rostral, while the area toward where the
spine attaches is caudal.X

Proximal-Distal
Proximal and distal are used to describe bodily appendages such as limbs. The
proximal part of a limb is the part close to where it joins the body, while the
distal part is the part furthest away. For example, the tips of our fingers are the
most distal part of our arms.
All of these terms are used for relative positions as well as standard anatomical
position; for example, the neck is superior to the chest, but inferior to the head.
The hands are distal to the arms. The eyes are rostral to the back of the skull.X

Planes of the Body

There are three main planes that transect, or divide, the human body into
sections to make it easier to describe the locations of body parts and
movements. They are the sagittal plane, the coronal plane, and the transverse
plane. The sagittal plane runs down the center of the body and divides the body
into left and right sides. The coronal plane divides the body into dorsal and
ventral sides. The transverse plane is at the waist and runs parallel to the
ground, dividing the body into cranial and caudal sections. X
This diagram shows the three anatomical planes of the body.

The Cell
Cells are the basis of life—the basic structural unit of living things. Molecules such as water and
amino acids are not alive but cells are! All life is comprised of cells of one type or another.
One of the hallmarks of living systems is the ability to maintain homeostasis, or a relatively
constant internal state. The cell is the first level of complexity able to maintain homeostasis, and
it is the unique structure of the cell that enables this critical function
The current cell theory states that:
All known living things are composed of one or more cells.
All new cells are created by pre-existing cells dividing in two.
The cell is the most basic unit of structure and function in all living organisms.
Modern cell theorists assert that all functions essential to life occur within the cell; and that,
during cell division, the cell contains and transmits to the next generation the information
necessary to conduct and regulate cell functioning.

Cell Structure
Ideas about cell structure have changed considerably over the years. Early biologists
saw cells as simple membranous sacs containing fluid and a few floating particles.
Today's biologists know that cells are infinitely more complex than this. X

There are many different types, sizes, and shapes of cells in the body. For descriptive
purposes, the concept of a "generalized cell" is introduced. It includes features from
all cell types. A cell consists of three parts: the cell membrane, the nucleus, and,
between the two, the cytoplasm. Within the cytoplasm lie intricate arrangements of
fine fibers and hundreds or even thousands of miniscule but distinct structures called
organelles.X

Cell membrane
Every cell in the body is enclosed by a cell (Plasma) membrane. The cell membrane
separates the material outside the cell, extracellular, from the material inside the
cell, intracellular. It maintains the integrity of a cell and controls passage of materials
into and out of the cell. All materials within a cell must have access to the cell
membrane (the cell's boundary) for the needed exchange. X
The cell membrane is a double layer of phospholipid molecules. Proteins in the cell
membrane provide structural support, form channels for passage of materials, act
as receptor sites, function as carrier molecules, and provide identification markers. X

Nucleus and Nucleolus

The nucleus, formed by a nuclear membrane around a fluid nucleoplasm, is the
control center of the cell. Threads of chromatin in the nucleus
contain deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), the genetic material of the cell.
The nucleolus is a dense region of ribonucleic acid (RNA) in the nucleus and is
the site of ribosome formation. The nucleus determines how the cell will function, as
well as the basic structure of that cell. X

Cytoplasm
The cytoplasm is the gel-like fluid inside the cell. It is the medium for chemical
reaction. It provides a platform upon which other organelles can operate within the
cell. All of the functions for cell expansion, growth and replication are carried out in
the cytoplasm of a cell. Within the cytoplasm, materials move by diffusion, a
physical process that can work only for short distances.X

Cytoplasmic organelles
Cytoplasmic organelles are "little organs" that are suspended in the cytoplasm of the
cell. Each type of organelle has a definite structure and a specific role in the function
of the cell. Examples of cytoplasmic organelles
are mitochondrion, ribosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, golgi apparatus,
and lysosomes.X