Chapter 01 Major Themes of Anatomy and Physiology

Anatomy

The Study of body Structure

Physiology

Study of Body Function

Inspection

to observe appearance

palpation

feeling structure with hands

auscultation

listening to sounds produced by the body

percussion

tap on the body to feel for resistance and listen to emitted sounds for abnormalities

Dissection

cutting and separating human body tissues to reveal tissue relationships (use of cadavers)

Comparative anatomy

study of multiple species to learn about form, function, and evolution

exploratory surgery

opening living body to see what is wrong(replaced by medical imaging to view without surgery)

Radiology

Branch of medicine specializing in imaging

Gross anatomy

Study of structures that can be seen with the naked eye

Histology

examination of tissues with a microscope

Cytology

study of structures and functions of cells

ultrastructure

fine detail (often done with an electron microscope)

Neurophysiology

physiology of nervous system

Endocrinology

physiology of hormones

Pathophysiology

Mechanisms of disease

Comparative physiology

study of different species to learn about body functions

Histopathology

microscopic examination of tissues for signs of disease