Anatomy - a Definition

Anatomy is often simply defined as the science concerned with the study of the structure of biological organisms. Indeed, such a definition is typical of most dictionaries. Since NetAnatomy.com focuses on human anatomy, the definition may be refined to a study of the structure of the human body. In fact, many anatomists would likely not accept such a definition because of its lack of reference to function. Within all biological organisms, and indeed most mechanical devices of far less complexity than the human body, structure and function are intimately related. Thus, a more accurate definition of contemporary human anatomy would be the study of structure and its relation to function in the human body.

The term anatomy itself has a Greek origin that means "to cut up" or "to dissect". While the first scientifically-based anatomical studies (credited to Vesalius, a 16th century Flemish anatomist, physician, and artist) were based on observations with the unaided eye on dissected cadavers, contemporary human anatomy includes additional modes of observation and emphases. This in turn has contributed to subdivisions or 'subdisciplines' within the broader field of anatomy. It is now common to precede the word anatomy with an adjective that defines the mode of observation, e.g., gross anatomy or microscopic anatomy, defines a particular field of anatomical interest, e.g., developmental anatomy or neuroanatomy, or defines the approach one takes in the study of the body, e.g., regional anatomy (by body regions) or systemic anatomy (by biological systems). Additional terms are particularly common to medicine, e.g., radiographic anatomy, clinical anatomy, etc. A true appreciation for the anatomy of the human body encompasses study in many if not all of the anatomical subdivisions. The more common subdivisions are as follows: