The word “anatomy” means “structure”, while “physiology” refers to “function”. We can elaborate by saying that anatomy is the detailed study of the different parts of the body, their organization, and their interrelationships, but how these parts and organs of the body play their specific roles in a coordinated manner which is referred to as physiology.
An understanding of these terms is not only beneficial for healthcare professionals and their careers; instead, it helps us to know about your own body and its health. Familiarity with the body (physiology and anatomy) of living things makes us aware of healthy choices, and it also makes us aware of taking appropriate action against the signs that arise when disease strikes us.
Knowledge related to anatomy and physiology will also help you and make you understand information related to medical devices, various treatments, procedures, nutrition and drugs and of course various infectious and genetic diseases.
Anatomy and Physiology are studied together and are incomplete without each other. Because understanding anatomy without knowing physiology is meaningless, and vice versa, knowing anatomy is important before gaining knowledge of physiology. So, in this article, we will provide an overview of anatomy as well as physiology and the points of difference between the two.
Definition of Anatomy
Anatomy is a Greek word meaning “to cut”. The scientific study of the body structure of living things is known as anatomy, while the study of the structure of the human body is known as human anatomy. There are various types of structures, shapes and sizes present in our body, some of which can be observed easily, while some are analyzed with the help of a microscope.
Human anatomy emerges from observing the wounds and injuries of soldiers and the outside of the body. Later, doctors were allowed to study and gain knowledge about the structure of the human body by dissecting their corpses. In order to analyze the internal parts of the body, it is dissected, and the structure is cut, and then these parts are observed which also gives information that how they are interrelated and work in a coordinated manner.
Dissection is still performed in medical institutions and in pathology laboratories, to study and observe every structure of the human body, however with advanced technology many imaging techniques have been developed to analyze internal structures. X-ray, CT Scan, Ultrasound are techniques that allow a doctor or medical professional to visualize living internal structures of the body such as fractures, internal injuries or cancerous tumors.
Anatomy is studied under two areas of specialization: Macroscopic Anatomy and Microscopic Anatomy. Macroscopic anatomy is the study of larger body structures that are visible without the use of a microscope or any magnifying device. Microscopic anatomy includes the study of cells (cytology), and tissues (histology) and other small or smaller structures that are only visible with a microscope or different types of magnification.
There are two conventional approaches to studying body structure: regional and systemic. Regional anatomy is concerned with the study of the relationships between various structures present in a specific region of the body such as the abdomen. Regional anatomy helps us understand how cells, nerves, tissues, blood vessels, and other structures function together with targets to best serve specific areas of the body.
Systemic anatomy is the study of groups of structures that work together to perform specific functions. For example, the study of the muscular system would include all the skeletal muscles of the body.
Definition of Physiology
The study of the organization of the structure of the body and its workings in juxtaposing other organs to function together with the aim of supporting the functions of life is known as physiology. The study of physiology focuses primarily on homeostasis, which is the ability to maintain constant internal conditions by living things.
Physiology is the observation of the pathological conditions of organs and their functions. It relates to terms like cardiovascular, respiratory, urogenital, etc. Physiology has many subspecialties as it deals with all the important processes that occur in our body throughout life.
Difference Between Anatomy and Physiology
Following are the basic differences between the terms anatomy and physiology:
- Anatomy is a type of static study which is concerned with observing the internal and external structures of the body. Physiology is considered as a dynamic concept that deals with the study of the functions of various organs like digestion, respiration, reproduction, osmoregulation, etc.
- Anatomy can be analyzed in living and non-living things, but physiology is only analyzed in living things.
- Anatomy deals with the structure of the body, its different parts like cells, tissues, organs and organ systems, etc., whereas physiology deals with the working of body parts and their specific roles.
- If we discuss the anatomy of the heart, it means that we observe the structure of the heart, its chambers, arteries, veins, valves, etc. While the physiology oh heart means how the pumping of blood is done by the heart.
Conclusion: Anatomy and Physiology are closely related concepts that are studied together. In other words, anatomy is the analysis of an organism and how it is organized internally and externally, while physiology is how the habits of the organs of living things function.
