chapter 1.1 study notes

 Human anatomy is the scientific study of the body’s structures

 Anatomists take two general approaches to the study of the body’s structures: regional and systemic. Regional anatomy is the study of the interrelationships of all of the structures in a specific body region, such as the abdomen.

 

  Microscopic anatomy includes cytology, the study of cells and histology, the study of tissues. 

As the technology of microscopes has advanced, anatomists have been able to observe smaller and smaller structures of the body, from slices of large structures like the heart, to the three-dimensional structures of large molecules in the body.

Studying regional anatomy helps us appreciate the interrelationships of body structures, such as how muscles, nerves, blood vessels, and other structures work together to serve a particular body region. 

            In contrast, systemic anatomy is the study of the structures that make up a discrete body system—that is, a group of structures that work together to perform a unique body function. 

For example, a systemic anatomical study of the muscular system would consider all of the skeletal muscles of the body.

Much of the study of physiology centers on the body’s tendency toward homeostasis. 

 

Homeostasis is the state of steady internal conditions maintained by living things. 

The study of physiology certainly includes observation, both with the naked eye and with microscopes, as well as manipulations and measurements. However, current advances in physiology usually depend on carefully designed laboratory experiments that reveal the functions of the many structures and chemical compounds that make up the human body.