What is anatomy

Anatomy is the identification and description of

the structures of living things. It is a branch of
biology and medicine.

The study of anatomy dates back more than 2000 years to the Ancient
Greeks. There are three broad areas:

 human anatomy
 animal anatomy — zootomy
 plant anatomy — phytotomy

Human anatomy is the study of the structures of the human body. An

understanding of anatomy is key to the practice of medicine and other areas
of health.

The word “anatomy” comes from the Greek words “ana,” meaning “up,” and
“tome,” meaning “a cutting.” Traditionally, studies of anatomy have involved
cutting up, or dissecting, organisms.

Now, however, imaging technology can show us much about how the inside of
a body works, reducing the need for dissection.

Below, learn about the two main approaches: microscopic anatomy and gross,
or macroscopic,