What anatomy & physiology are

Recall

Anatomy studies the body's …

structures — their form and how they relate

Physiology studies the body's …

function — how the structures work

The Greek root of 'anatomy' means …

'to cut apart'

Structures seen WITHOUT magnification = … anatomy

gross (macroscopic)

Cells are studied by …; tissues by …

cytology; histology

One region, all its structures together = … anatomy

regional

One system, throughout the whole body = … anatomy

systemic

Study of the nervous system's functions = …

neurophysiology

Physiology's central theme (steady internal conditions) = …

homeostasis

A structure's shape fits its job — the principle is …

form follows function

Understand

In one sentence, how do anatomy and physiology differ?

Anatomy is the study of the body's structures (what they are); physiology is the study of their function (how they work).

Why do we use imaging, not dissection, to study a living patient's insides?

Dissection is done on the dead; imaging lets us see structures inside a living person without cutting.

What single question decides whether you're doing gross or microscopic anatomy?

Whether the structure is visible without magnification (gross) or needs a microscope (microscopic).

Why are cytology and histology BOTH microscopic anatomy?

Both study things too small to see with the naked eye — cells (cytology) and tissues (histology).

Explain regional vs systemic anatomy, with one example each.

Regional: all structures of one region together (e.g. the abdomen). Systemic: one system through the whole body (e.g. the muscular system).

Why is 'form follows function' worth stating as a whole-course principle?

Because a structure's shape is the reason it can do its job — you understand the structure and its function together, not separately.

Apply

A CT scan shows a tumour and where it sits. Is identifying the tumour's location anatomy or physiology?

Anatomy — it's about a structure and where it is. (How the tumour disrupts a function would be physiology.)

A stroke damages a brain region and the patient can't move an arm. Which part is anatomy, which is physiology?

The damaged region = anatomy (structure); the lost movement = physiology (a function failing). You need both to understand the case.

A researcher studies every skeletal muscle in the body as one group. Regional or systemic — and why?

Systemic — it follows one system (muscular) through the whole body, not the contents of one region.

A pathologist examines a tissue sample under the microscope. Which branch of anatomy is that — and what would cytology be instead?

Histology (the study of tissues); cytology would be studying individual cells.

You must memorize WHERE the heart's valves sit AND understand HOW they control blood flow. Which goal is anatomy, which is physiology?

Where the valves sit = anatomy (structure); how they control flow = physiology (function).

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