The structure of the body of any living thing, and its scientific study. Human anatomy, together with physiology (the study of the functioning of the body), forms the foundation of medical science. Anatomy is subdivided into many branches. These include comparative anatomy (the study of the differences between human and animal bodies), surgical anatomy (the practical knowledge required by surgeons), embryology (the study of structural changes that occur during the development of the embryo and fetus), systematic anatomy (the study of the structure of particular body systems), and cytology and histology (the microscopic study of cells and tissues respectively).
The science which deals with the structure of the bodies of men and animals. Brief descriptions of the anatomy of each important organ are given under the headings of the various organs. It is studied by dissection of bodies bequeathed for the purpose, or of the bodies of those who die in hospitals and similar institutions, unclaimed by relatives.
n. the study of the structure of living organisms. In medicine it refers to the study of the form and gross structure of the various parts of the human body. The term morphology is sometimes used synonymously with anatomy but it is usually used for comparative anatomy: the study of differences in form between species. See also cytology; histology; physiology. —anatomical adj. —anatomist n.
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