Portal:Anatomy

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Anatomy (from Ancient Greek ἀνατομή (anatomḗ) 'dissection') is the branch of morphology concerned with the study of the internal structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old science, having its beginnings in prehistoric times. Anatomy is inherently tied to developmental biology, embryology, comparative anatomy, evolutionary biology, and phylogeny, as these are the processes by which anatomy is generated, both over immediate and long-term timescales. Anatomy and physiology, which study the structure and function of organisms and their parts respectively, make a natural pair of related disciplines, and are often studied together. Human anatomy is one of the essential basic sciences that are applied in medicine, and is often studied alongside physiology.

Anatomy is a complex and dynamic field that is constantly evolving as new discoveries are made. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the use of advanced imaging techniques, such as MRI and CT scans, which allow for more detailed and accurate visualizations of the body's structures.

The discipline of anatomy is divided into macroscopic and microscopic parts. Macroscopic anatomy, or gross anatomy, is the examination of an animal's body parts using unaided eyesight. Gross anatomy also includes the branch of superficial anatomy. Microscopic anatomy involves the use of optical instruments in the study of the tissues of various structures, known as histology, and also in the study of cells. (Full article...)

Anatomical terminology uses many unique terms, suffixes, and prefixes deriving from Ancient Greek and Latin. These terms can be confusing to those unfamiliar with them, but can be more precise, reducing ambiguity and errors. Also, since these anatomical terms are not used in everyday conversation, their meanings are less likely to change, and less likely to be misinterpreted.

To illustrate how inexact day-to-day language can be: a scar "above the wrist" could be located on the forearm two or three inches away from the hand or at the base of the hand; and could be on the palm-side or back-side of the arm. By using precise anatomical terminology such ambiguity is eliminated. (Full article...)

Selected anatomical feature

The gumsorgingiva (pl.: gingivae) consist of the mucosal tissue that lies over the mandible and maxilla inside the mouth. Gum health and disease can have an effect on general health. (Full article...)

Selected organ

Selected biography

Abū al-Qāsim Khalaf ibn al-'Abbās al-Zahrāwī al-Ansari (Arabic: أبو القاسم خلف بن العباس الزهراوي;‎ 936–1013), popularly known as al-Zahrawi (الزهراوي), LatinisedasAlbucasisorAbulcasis (from Arabic Abū al-Qāsim), was a physician, surgeon and chemist from al-Andalus. He is considered one of the greatest surgeons of the Middle Ages.

Al-Zahrawi's principal work is the Kitab al-Tasrif, a thirty-volume encyclopedia of medical practices. The surgery chapter of this work was later translated into Latin, attaining popularity and becoming the standard textbook in Europe for the next five hundred years. Al-Zahrawi's pioneering contributions to the field of surgical procedures and instruments had an enormous impact in the East and West well into the modern period, where some of his discoveries are still applied in medicine to this day. He pioneered the use of catgut for internal stitches, and his surgical instruments are still used today to treat people. (Full article...)

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WikiProjects

Some Wikipedians have formed a project to better organize information in articles related to Anatomy. This page and its subpages contain their suggestions; it is hoped that this project will help to focus the efforts of other Wikipedians. If you would like to help, please swing by the talk page.

WikiProject Anatomy update

	new good articles since last newsletter include Thyroid, Hypoglossal nerve, Axillary arch, Human brain, Cerebrospinal fluid, Accessory nerve, Gallbladder, and Interventricular foramina (neuroanatomy)
	There is Introduction to Anatomy on Wikipedia published in the Journal of Anatomy [1]
	We reach two projects goals of 20 good articles, and less than half of our articles as stubs, in July 2017. Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Anatomy/Archive 11#Congratulations to all
	A discussion about two preferred section titles takes place here.

Things to do

v t e Anatomy and morphology
Fields	Gross anatomy Superficial anatomy Neuroanatomy brain morphometry Comparative anatomy Microscopic anatomy histology molecular Morphometrics
Bacteria and fungi	Bacterial cell structure cellular morphologies morphological plasticity Colonial morphology Lichen morphology
Protists	Structures
Plants	Plant anatomy fruit Plant habit Plant life-form Plant morphology reproductive Soil morphology
Invertebrates	Decapod anatomy Gastropod anatomy Insect morphology Diptera Odonata Spider anatomy Arthropod cuticle
Mammals	Human anatomy Neanderthal anatomy Cat anatomy Dog anatomy Horse anatomy Elephant anatomy Giraffe anatomy
Other vertebrates	Amphibian anatomy Bird anatomy Fish anatomy Shark anatomy
Glossaries	Anatomical terminology Anatomical terms of location Glossary of dinosaur anatomy Glossary of plant morphology leaf morphology
Related topics	Allometry Anatomical variation Anatomical plane Body plan Form classification Gracility Hertwig rule History of anatomy 19th century Physiognomy Standard anatomical position Transcendental anatomy
Category Portal Index of anatomy articles