Subtopics of Anatomy

Gross, or macroscopic, anatomy is the study of large body structures visible to the naked eye, such as the heart, lungs, and kidneys. Under gross anatomy there are also subdivisions. One way to approach gross anatomy is regional anatomy. In regional anatomy, all the structures (muscles, bones, blood vessels, nerves, etc.) in a particular region of the body, such as the abdomen or leg, are examined at the same time. Another way to approach gross anatomy is systemic anatomy. In systemic anatomy, the anatomy of the body is studied system by system. For example, when studying the cardiovascular system, you would examine the heart and the blood vessels of the entire body. The final way to approach gross anatomy is surface anatomy. Surface anatomy is the study of internal structures as they relate to the overlying skin surface. It is used when identifying the bulging muscles beneath a bodybuilder's skin. It can also be used to locate appropriate blood vessels in which to feel pulses and draw blood. Microscopic anatomy, another topic of anatomy, concerns structures too small to be seen with the naked eye. Most studies include, exceedingly thin slices of body tissues that are mounted on slides or be examined under the microscope. Under microscopic anatomy there are two subdivisions, cytology and histology. Cytology considers the cells of the body. Histology studies tissues. Developmental anatomy, the final subdivision of anatomy, traces structural changes that occur in the hod throughout the life span. A subdivision of developmental anatomy is embryology. Embryology concerns developmental changes that occur before birth. There are also specialized branches of anatomy used primarily for medical diagnosis and scientific research. One type is pathological anatomy. Pathological anatomy studies structural changes caused by disease. Another branch is radiographic anatomy. Radiographic anatomy studies internal structures as visualized by X-ray images or specialized scanning procedures. Molecular biology is a separate branch of biology that falls under the anatomy umbrella when anatomical studies are pushed to the subcellular level.