Human anatomy is primarily the scientific study of the morphology of the adult human body. It is subdivided into gross anatomy and microscopic anatomy. Gross anatomy (also called topographical anatomy, regional anatomy, or anthropotomy) is the study of anatomical structures that can be seen by unaided vision. Microscopic anatomy is the study of minute anatomical structures assisted with microscopes, which includes histology (the study of the organisation of tissues), and cytology (the study of cells).
In some of its facets human anatomy is closesly related to embryology, comparative anatomy and comparitive embryology, through common roots in evolution.
The human body, like the bodies of all animals, consists of systems, that consist of organs, that consist of tissues, that consist of cells and connective tissue.
The history of anatomy has been characterized, over time, by a continually developing understanding of the functions of organs and structures in the body. Methods have also advanced dramatically, advancing from examination of animals through dissection of cadavers (dead human bodies) to technologically complex techniques developed in the 20th century.
Study
Certain professions, especially medicine and physiotherapy, require the study of human anatomy in depth. Human anatomy can be taught regionally or systemically; that is, respectively, studying anatomy by bodily regions such as the head and chest, or studying by specific systems, such as the nervous or respiratory systems. The major anatomy textbook, Gray's Anatomy, has been recently been reorganized from a systems format to a regional format, in line with modern teaching methods.
Regional groups
- Head and Neck — includes everything above the thoracic inlet
- Upper limb — includes the hand, forearm, arm, shoulder, axilla, pectoral region and scapular region.
- Thorax — the region of the chest from the thoracic inlet to the thoracic diaphragm.
- Abdomen — everything from the thoracic diaphragm to the pelvic brim or to the pelvic inlet.
- The back — the spine and its components, the vertebrae and intervertebral disks .
- Pelvis and Perineum — the pelvis consists of everything from the pelvic inlet to the pelvic diaphragm. The perineum is the region between the genital area and the anus.
- Lower limb — the lower limb is usually everything below the inguinal ligament, including the thigh, the hip joint, the leg, and the foot.
Systems
- Circulatory system: pumping and chanelling blood throughout the body
- Lymphatic system: structures involved in the transfer of lymph between tissues and the blood stream
- Digestive system: processing food with mouth, stomach and intestines inclusive with the excretory system
- Endocrine system: communicating within the body using hormones
- Immune system: defending against disease-causing agents
- Integumentary system: skin, hair and nails
- Muscular system: moving the body
- Nervous system: collecting, transferring and processing information with brain and nerves
- Reproductive system: the sex organs
- Respiratory system: the organs used for breathing, the lungs
- Skeletal system: structural support and protection through bones
- Urinary system: kidneys, ureter, urinary bladder and urethra involved in fluid balance, electrolyte balance and excretion of urine.
External features
Common names of well known parts of the human body, from top to bottom :
- Head — Forehead — Eye — Ear — Nose — Mouth — Tongue — Teeth — Jaw — Face — Cheek — Chin
- Neck — Throat — Adam's apple — Shoulders
- Arm — Elbow — Wrist — Hand — Fingers — Thumb
- Spine — Chest — Breast — Ribcage
- Abdomen — Belly button — Sex organs (Penis/Scrotum or Clitoris/Vagina) — Rectum — Anus — Groin
- Hip — Buttocks — Leg — Thigh — Knee — Calf — Heel — Ankle — Foot — Toes
Internal organs
Common names of internal organs (in alphabetical order) :
Adrenals — Appendix — Bladder — Brain — Duodenum — Eyes — Gall bladder — Heart — Intestines — Kidney — Liver — Lungs — Oesophagus — Ovaries — Pancreas — Parathyroids — Pituitary — Prostate — Skin — Spleen — Stomach — Testicles — Thymus — Thyroid — Veins — Womb
Brain
Amygdala — Brainstem — Cerebellum — Cerebral cortex — Hypothalamus — Limbic system — medulla — midbrain — Pituitary gland — pons
