Human Anatomy Physiology

Human Anatomy and Physiology

When we talk about the human body, in general, we also learn about some different terms and sub-matters that are categorized into their own sections. You probably have heard about human anatomy physiology, but do you know that anatomy and physiology are actually two different studies? Read along to find out their differences.

Understanding Anatomy

Anatomy is the study of human body’s morphology, which means that it is the study about the way human body parts interact to each other to function as a whole. You will learn about molecular structure, cells, and also bones to understand the overall concept.

In medical science, the basic knowledge about this particular subject should cover 3 aspects: anatomy, physiology (the study of how the human body functions), and biochemistry (the study of living structures and their chemistry). These subjects can be taught in tandem or grouped together so you will get a better understanding of the whole matter.

In anatomy, you will learn that human body and its biological systems, consisting of tissues, organs, cells, and also connective tissues. It is basically an old subject, where all the knowledge and information has been studied, researched, and categorized in a long time. Today, we have witnessed the great advance in the science where we can learn about modern human anatomy. In the past, the understanding of anatomy could only be gained through dissection of preserved and fresh cadavers. Now, we can rely on different high end and sophisticated techniques that have been developed over the years.

Anatomy is divided into two main subjects:

• Gross anatomy. Also known as macroscopic anatomy, it focuses on how anatomical structures can be viewed without the usage of microscopes
• Microscopic anatomy. It is the study of anatomical structured with the assistance of microscopes.

Gross anatomy itself is divided into 3 different studies:

• Surface anatomy, focusing on external anatomy markings and forms
• Regional anatomy, focusing on a certain region (external or internal)
• Systemic anatomy, focusing on a certain organ

Understanding Physiology

As it was mentioned before, physiology is the study of how the human body functions biochemically, physically, and mechanically. You learn about living systems and their functions.

The human body is a complex system, where things can happen in the cellular level. In physiology, you learn what happens within the organ systems, organism, biomolecules, and cells level. You also learn about the complex process supporting development and growth, nutrients processing and absorption, protein distribution and synthesis, and also other work within organic molecules.

Homeostasis, for instance, is a part of physiology. It is the way our body maintain its overall resistance system, monitored by the nervous system and the brain while maintaining the functions from individual organs. In short, our body has its own mechanism where it can adjust itself to the surrounding environment to maintain stable and balanced condition. For instance, when you are learning about how warm blooded animals get to maintain the constant and stable temperature in the coldest environment, then you are learning about homeostasis.