Anatomy is a branch of medical science in which all the parts, components, characteristics and functions of the body of a living being are described, whether plant or animal. Deepen aspects of vital importance, asking methodological and simple questions such as: What is it for? How does it work? What is it made of? among other. The study of this science helped to assign the names of the parts of the body, in the case of human beings, these names come mostly from the scientists who discovered them or the functions they have.
What is anatomy
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It is a constant science and its evolution has allowed the resolution of problems and the creation of new goals for medicine. This science is responsible for studying the morphology and structure of living beings, as well as analyzing the shape, location, distribution, relationship and topography of the organs that make up living beings.
In addition to science, anatomy supposes a great constant curiosity on the part of man and the need to know in depth what exists within humans and animals, their internal composition and the origin of each movement, of themselves and their functions.
History of anatomy
The history of the anatomy of the human body from its beginnings has taken with great importance the discovery of ancient and cave paintings in which man's interest in discovering what is in the entrails of animals is demonstrated. The aforementioned science obtained its strong discoveries in Greece, but in fact, the first record of its study that man has, began with the Stone Age, apparently in 3600 BC. Within this prehistoric period we find the Cro-Magnon Man, who learned to treat wounds in animals, as well as trepanations of various sizes.
Paleontology and palaeophytopathology have helped the history of medicine to further detail the discovery of Cro-Magnon man utensils, as well as cave paintings in several caves that narrate gigantic cardiotomies, tracheotomies applied to equines and various myotomies especially, it is explained graphically to the previous animals (pachyderms and equines), where finely elaborated instruments with carved stone and wooden points were used.
However, it was not until knowledge was established in India, Rome, and Greece that anatomy took a didactic and study turn by many, creating remarkable geniuses of anatomy. One of the oldest representations but most major historical, is the Vitruvian Man, a series of drawings and notes made by Leonardo Da Vinci described the parts and functions of the body.
However, the first study dates from 1600 BC. C. and is engraved on an Egyptian papyrus. Through him, we can know that this ancient civilization had important knowledge about the viscera and human structure, although they knew little about how each organ worked.
The one who increased knowledge in this branch was Aristotle, in the 4th century BC. C. At that time the first dissections of human corpses and, thanks to them, were made could understand the functioning of the different parts of the body.
Later, the Romans and the Arabs advanced a little further and, during the Renaissance, new studies emerged that became known as modern anatomy that was based, not only on the writings of a few thousand years ago, but on actual observation, that several scientists carried out, including Andrés Vesalio, one of the key representatives of this science.
Human anatomy
It is dedicated to the study of the structures of the human body. In general, it is oriented to the knowledge about macroscopic structures. The human body can be understood as an organization of structures at different levels: molecules that form cells, cells that form tissues, tissues that establish organs, organs that are integrated into systems, etc.
From then on, some examples will be detailed:
1.- Anatomy of the heart: this organ functions as a pump that, due to its motor action, supplies the necessary force for the blood and the substances it carries to circulate properly through the veins and arteries. In each beat, it expels a certain amount of blood towards the thickest artery (aorta) and by successive branches that leave the aorta, the blood reaches the whole body.
2.- Anatomy of the eye: the human eye is a very complex organ that receives information in the form of light, analyzes it and transports it in nerve impulses to the brain, so that the information is processed. This organ is a sphere with a radius of 12 mm with a protrusion on its front, which forms a spherical cap with a radius of 8 mm. Their layers:
- Outer layer of the eye: sclera and cornea.
- Middle layer of the eye: choroid, iris, ciliary body and lens.
- Inner layer of the eye: retina, aqueous humor and vitreous.
3.- Anatomy of the kidney: The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs responsible for filtering minerals from the blood, maintaining total fluid balance, excreting waste and regulating blood volume, to name a few.
4.- Anatomy of the foot: they are the most distal anatomical part of the lower extremities. The foot articulates with the leg through the ankle. The foot configuration allows walking upright and standing.
5.- Anatomy of the hand: a hand is made up of 27 bones: 14 phalanges, 8 carpals and 5 metacarpal bones, through which the tendons of the flexor muscles are inserted. The joint of the hand joins with the bones, muscles and tendons of the forearm to carry out the actions that we need in our daily lives.
6.- Anatomy of the knee: the knee is the largest and most complex joint in the human body and its structure is configured to support the weight of the body while running, walking or standing, so it must have a large stability, especially since the muscles that are inserted into it are the ones that facilitate movement (130º between flexion and extension, as well as a minimum rotation of 14º when flexed) and develop great force.
7. - Anatomy of the ear:
- Anatomy of the external ear: it constitutes the pinna and the external auditory canal, it is independent of the middle ear by a disk-shaped system, called the tympanic membrane (eardrum).
- Anatomy of the middle ear: The middle ear is an air-filled cavity that contains three ossicles: the hammer, anvil, and stapes, which are held in place and moved by the joints, muscles, and ligaments that aid in the transmission of sound.
- Inner ear anatomy: The inner ear is deeply embedded in the temporal bone and is made up of a series of complex structures that are responsible for human hearing and balance.
8.- Anatomy of the stomach: the stomach is a dilated jot-shaped portion of the digestive tract that varies from person to person and depending on posture. It is found in the upper and left quadrant of the abdomen, occupying part of the epigastrium, part of the umbilical region and the left hypochondrium. Its shape, size, position and dimensions vary according to age, sex, posture, muscle tone, and physiological moment.
Systems and apparatus of the human body
Both systems and apparatus are not mutually exclusive, that is, the locomotor system joins muscles and bones. On the other hand, the skeletal system is made up of bones, which in turn are within the locomotor system.
Of course, not all systems and devices in the human body are the same. Biology comprises four groups of organs based on their morphofunctional characteristics.
- Group I - Somatic systems: it is formed by the organs and structures that make up the walls of the human body. They serve to protect, maintain and perform biomechanical functions.
- Group II - Visceral systems: it is made up of the organs that intervene in the vegetative functions of the human body, such as metabolism or reproduction.
- Group III - Circulatory system: these are the organs that carry body fluids, such as blood.
- Group IV - Nervous system: groups the organs and structures that carry out nervous regulation.
Despite their differences, systems and devices are essential for a human being to live. If we observe the difference in the definition of each of them, we distinguish nine types of systems and six different devices.
Human body systems:
- Joint system.
- Circulatory system.
- Endocrine system.
- Skeletal system.
- Immune system.
- Lymphatic system.
- Muscular system.
- Nervous system.
- Integumentary system.
Apparatus of the human body:
- Cardiovascular system.
- Digestive system.
- Excretory or urinary system.
- Locomotor system.
- Reproductive system.
- Respiratory system.
Branches of anatomy
Covering such a large field of study, anatomy is subdivided into several branches, a variety of them below:
Descriptive anatomy
This branch subdivides the body into systems and studies them describing their situation, shape, relationship between their parts, constitution and structure. It establishes divisions by systems or devices where it carries out an in-depth study of each one of them.
Surgical anatomy
It is the part of basic sciences that is applied by surgeons in the development of surgical procedures and is responsible for studying the best ways to perform operations on the various organs.
Clinical anatomy
It is the study of the structure and morphology of the organs of a living being in relation to the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.
Clinical anatomy
It is also known as applied, and it supports the health sciences to proceed to the clinic of a patient, since it compares the healthy structures of the human body with the damaged ones to establish the diagnosis and the corresponding treatment.
Physiological Anatomy
It is the science that studies how the body and the parts of living beings work, being a term proper to Biology.
Kinesiology
It is a discipline that studies the movement of the body and, specifically, the muscular reaction to a stressor or overload.
Pathological anatomy
This is in charge of studying the transmission, development and consequences of diseases. It is one of the pillars of medicine, since it is responsible for interpreting the symptoms of diseases. This is why doctors need to find the alterations that diseases produce in patients through exploration.
Plant anatomy
Study plants, their tissues and their internal cellular structure. Normally, when talking about plants, it is understood that you need an optical microscope for study.
Importance of anatomy
It is based on the fact that, due to the knowledge of our own body, we have increased our importance, thus achieving that solutions to diseases have been discovered, as well as a greater knowledge of the physical capacity of each one of us and, above all, there is still a whole world of information that our scientists can tackle.
Frequently Asked Questions about Anatomy
What is anatomy?
It is the science that studies the structure of living beings, that is, the arrangement of their bones and organs and the relationship that exists between them.What does anatomy study?
Study the characteristics, location and interrelationships of the organs that are part of a living organism. This discipline is responsible for developing a descriptive analysis of living beings.What is the difference between anatomy and physiology?
Anatomy and physiology are two complementary disciplines, the first one studies the structure of the parts of the body and the relationship between them. For its part, physiology studies the structural function of the body, that is, how these parts "work" to maintain life.How to study anatomy?
It is important to take into account some techniques to study this specialty:- Finding a study partner as it is easier with support.
- Spend a lot of time on it.
- Use an atlas that has many images.
- Learn general descriptions.
- Make it visual as real as possible.
- Make mnemonic rules to associate and remember.
