1. Anatomy, as well as physiology, have several subspecialties. Can you identify these subspecialties and explain what they specifically study?
The study of anatomy and physiology entails more than just a few subspecialties. For anatomy, the following are some of its said subspecialties:
Embryology: The study of the first 8 weeks of development, after successful conception (or union of a sperm cell and egg cell).
Development Biology: The study of the complete development of an individual, from conception (or fertilization) to death.
Cell Biology: The study of structures and functions of a cell.
Histology: The study of the microscopic structures of tissues and their four types, namely: epithelial tissue, connective tissue, muscle tissue, and nervous tissue.
Surface Anatomy: The study of the external features of the body without the need for dissection done through visualization and palpation.
Gross Anatomy: The study of structures of the body that can be seen with the naked eye.
Systemic Anatomy: The study of the structures of specific systems, such as the endocrine system or nervous system.
For physiology, the following are some of its subspecialties:
Neurophysiology: The study of the functions of nerve cells.
Endocrinology: The study of functions of the endocrine system, focusing on the hormones it secretes and how they control and affect body functions.
Cardiovascular physiology: The study of the functions of the heart and blood vessels.
Immunology: The study concerning the body’s immune system, specifically the body’s defenses against pathogens and other disease-causing agents.
Respiratory physiology: The study of the functions of the air passageways and lungs and how they control gas exchange in the body.
Renal physiology: The study of the functions of the body’s kidneys.
Pathophysiology: The study of the changes or physiological changes associated with different diseases and aging.
2. Can you give your own example of how a structure of a body part is related to its function?
My own example of how a structure of a body part is related to its function would be our own opposable thumbs in relation to our other four fingers. I remember how during our second lecture in N1 - Behavioral Foundations in Health and Illness, it was discussed that long ago, our ancestors (Hominids) had opposable big toes, which they used for grasping and manipulating objects. Though we humans do not have the ability to grasp and manipulate objects with our toes, what we do have is the ability to manipulate, grasp, and use different tools such as our pencils and pens using our hands, and this is due to our opposable thumb, which has a unique alignment in relation to our other four fingers.