Histor y and scope of

A n at o m y i n M e d i c i n e

BY
M.G Taura
Date: September, 21,
2020

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Our Objective
By the successful completion of this presentation,
Specific Learning Outcomes

you are expected to:

✓Define anatomy
✓Describe branches of anatomy
✓Mention development of anatomy
learning in successive historical eras
✓Explain the role of anatomy in medicine

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 Introduction
Definition:
✓The term Anatomy is derived from Greek
meaning to cut.
✓However, in scientific terms human Anatomy
means the study of the structure of the human
body and the relationship of its different parts
to each other.
✓Human anatomy is the science concerned with
the structure of the human body.
Human Anatomy is divided into three main areas or
branches namely:
• (i) Gross Anatomy
• (ii) Histology

• (iii) Embryology
 Histology:-It was derived from the Greek word,
✓ Histos=tissue and logos=study. Histology therefore
means the study of tissue. Histology involves the study
of the minute structure of the various components of the
body.
✓ It is sometimes known as the microscopic Anatomy.
✓This is further subdivided in three parts:
i. Cytology
ii. General (Basic tissue) histology.
iii. Systemic or special (various body systems) histology.
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✓Embryology:- This also has a literal meaning which is
the study of embryo but technically it means the study
of embryo and the fetus.
✓Closely related to embryology is developmental
anatomy which comprises of prenatal and postnatal
developments. Other fields related to embryology are
✓Perinatology
✓Teratology
✓Neonatology

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✓Gross Anatomy:- This involves study of the parts of
human body which can be seen with naked eye.
✓From this point of view Anatomy could be studied by
two methods.
• (i) Systematic (systemic) anatomy
• (ii) Regional or topographical anatomy.

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✓(1) Systematic Anatomy:- The various systems of
which the human body is composed of are grouped
into the following :-
1.Osteology – the bony system or skeleton
2.Syndesmology – the articulations or joints
3.Myology – the muscles system
4.Angiology – the vascular system comprising the
heart, blood vessels, lymph vessels and lymph
glands.
5.Neurology – the nervous system
6.Splanchnology:- the visceral system.
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2.Regional or topographical anatomy:- All descriptions of
the human body are based on the assumption that the
person is standing erect, with the upper limbs by the
sides and the face and palms of the hands directed
forward, this position is known as anatomical position.
For purposes of descriptions the human body is divided
into the following main regions.
1. Head
2. Neck
3. Trunk and
4. Limbs

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✓The trunk is further subdivided into chest or thorax and
belly or abdomen.
✓ The abdomen is further subdivided into abdominal
cavity proper and the pelvis and perineum.
✓The limbs are also divided into upper and lower limbs.

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✓Other areas related to gross anatomy are
1.Surface Anatomy:- This involves the appreciation of
structures from the body surface and it involves :
✓Inspection :-shows the configuration of the body region
✓Palpation: which enables the physician to confirm
the impressions gained through inspection.
✓Percussion: which is sharp tapping with fingers and
✓Auscultation: which enables the physician to listen to
the breath sounds as the air enters and leaves the
respiratory passages.
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✓Applied anatomy :- Is the direct application of human
anatomy to the various pathological conditions.
✓Comparative anatomy:- This is the consideration of
adult forms with other primates.
✓Radiological anatomy:- Is the study of the human body
using X-ray, Computerized Tomography (C. T.) scan,
Ultrasound and other imaging techniques.

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✓Clinical anatomy: is the study of the structure
and function of the body as it relates to the
practice of medicine and other health sciences.
✓Basic anatomy: is the study of the minimal
amount of anatomy consistent with the
understanding of the overall structure and
function of the body

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 Historical development
✓Most of the terms that form the language of
anatomy are of Greek or Latin derivation.
✓ Latin was the language of the Roman Empire
during which time an interest in scientific
description was cultivated.
✓Even though the Roman Empire declined, Latin
language still retained its value in nomenclature
because it remained unchanged throughout
history.

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 History of Anatomy continues
✓Although the Greeks and Romans made significant
contributions to anatomical terminology, it should
be noted that many individuals from other
cultures have also contributed to the science of
human anatomy.
✓As a scientific field, human anatomy has had a rich
and long history.
✓The history of human anatomy parallels that of
medicine. In fact, interest in the structure of the
body often has been stimulated by the desire of
the medical profession to explain a body
dysfunction.
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✓Many of the great masters of the Renaissance
portrayed human figures in their art.
✓ Indeed, several of these artists were excellent
anatomists because of their preoccupation with
detail it demanded.
✓In the past, human anatomy was an academic,
purely descriptive science, concerned primarily
with identifying and naming body structures.
Although dissection and description form the
basis of anatomy, the importance of human
anatomy today is in its functional approach and
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clinical applications.
✓Human anatomy is a practical, applied science that
provides the foundation for understanding
physical performance and body health.
✓Studying the history of anatomy helps us
appreciate the relevant science that it is today.
✓Certain surgical skills are also ancient. Trepanation,
the drilling of a hole in the skull, or removal of a
portion of a cranial bone, seems to have been
practiced by several groups of prehistoric people.

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 Scientific period
✓ Human anatomy is a dynamic and growing science with a
long, exciting heritage. It continues to provide the
foundation for medical, biochemical, developmental,
cytogenetic, and biomechanical research. The scientific
period begins with recorded anatomical observations
made in early Mesopotamia over 3,000 years ago and
continues to the present day.
✓ Obviously, all of the past contributions to the science of
anatomy cannot be mentioned however, certain
individuals and cultures had a tremendous impact some of
which will be mentioned.

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✓The history of anatomy has been interesting,
alongside the history of the dissection of human
cadavers.
✓A few of the individuals who made significant
contributions to the field will be mentioned.
Some of their contributions were in the form of
books that describe and illustrate the structure
of the body and in some cases explain various
body functions.

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 History of Anatomy continues
✓Menes from Egypt (3400 B.C.) wrote the first
anatomy manual.
✓Hippocrates Ancient Greece (460–377 B.C.)
regarded as the Father of medicine; inspired the
Hippocratic oath.
✓Aristotle Ancient Greece (384–322 B.C). Founder of
comparative anatomy.
✓Herophilus Alexandria (325 B.C). conducted
remarkable research on aspects of the nervous
system
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 History of Anatomy continues
✓Galen Greek (130–201) Probably the most
influential medical writer of all time who
established principles that went unchallenged for
1,500 years. He conducted dissections and
vivisections on animals, chiefly apes, to find out
by inference and experiment how the human
body was structured, and how it functioned.
✓Leonardo da Vinci Rome (1452–1519) produced
anatomical drawings of high quality based on
human cadaver dissections.

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✓ Vesalius (1514–64) Refuted past misconceptions about
body structure and function by direct observation and
experiment; often called father of anatomy.
✓ Harvey (1578–1657) Demonstrated the function of the
circulatory system; applied the experimental method to
anatomy.
✓ Leeuwenhoek (1632–1723) Refined the microscope;
described various cells and tissues.
✓ Schleiden and Schwann (1838–39) Formulated the cell
theory.
✓ Crick and Watson (1953) Determined the structure of
DNA.
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 Role of Anatomy in Medicine
✓Knowledge of the structure of the human body
from gross anatomy down to the molecular level is
fundamental to understanding bodily function and
how both structure and function are modified by
disease.
✓During the last few decades, there has been an
increase of new techniques for imaging anatomy in
living patients. Examples range from endoscopy
and laparoscopy to computed tomography (CT) and
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), together with
newly emerging technology for three-dimensional
visualization.
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 Role of Anatomy in Medicine continues

✓The emergence of these sophisticated imaging

techniques has been accompanied by the
development of minimally invasive therapy
targeted to specific organs and/or sites within
them.
✓As a result, knowledge of gross anatomy has
become increasingly important, not only to
interpret the images that are produced by these
sophisticated techniques, but also to understand
the pathway for targeting therapy to a specific site.
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 Role of Anatomy in Medicine continues
✓Knowledge of gross human anatomy is considered
fundamental to be very relevant to daily clinical
activities such as symptoms evaluation and
physical examination, imaging techniques
interpretation or therapeutic procedures.
✓ Anatomy is considered very useful in almost all
medical and surgical specialties such as neurology
and orthopedics.

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 Summary
✓The history of Anatomy goes along with history
of Medicine. Most the people who contributed
to the development of Anatomy were also
great physicians of their times.
✓Anatomy provides the foundation of medicine
and other health professions whose relevance
in clinical practice can not be over-emphasized.

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 References

✓ Van De Graaff: Human Anatomy, Sixth

EditionThe McGraw−Hill Companies, 2001
Pages 2-18
✓ Luis-Alfonso Arráez-Aybara Relevance of
human anatomy in daily clinical practice.
Annals of Anatomy. 192 (2010) 341-348.
✓ Mareib E N, Hoehn K N. Human Anatomy &
Physiology. Greetings from Anatomy &
Physiology .10th edition. Pages 18 – 21.
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