1. Anatomy as well as physiology have several subspecialties. Can you identify these subspecialties and explain what they specifically study?
The Subspecialties of Anatomy include;
a. Embryology - the study of the first 8 weeks of development following fertilization of an egg
b. Development Biology - the study of the complete development of an individual from fertilization of an egg to death
c. Cell Biology - the study of cellular structure and functions
d. Surface Anatomy - the study of surface markings of the body to understand internal anatomy through visualization and palpation
e. Systemic Anatomy - the study of the structure of specific systems of the body such as the nervous system or respiratory systems
f. Gross Anatomy - the study of structures that can be examined without using a microscope
On the other hand, the subspecialties of physiology include;
a. Immunology - how the body defends itself against disease-causing agents
b. Neurophysiology - functional properties of nerve cells
c. Endocrinology - hormones and how they control body functions
d. Cardiovascular Physiology - functions of the heart and blood vessels
e. Renal Physiology - functions of the kidneys
f. Pathophysiology - functional changes associated with disease and aging
2. Can you give your own example on how a structure of a body part is related to its function?
To keep our bodies functioning effectively, each of our bodily parts has a distinct structure that serves a specific purpose. For instance, our skin has an outer layer of keratinized dead skin cells that protects against microbial infection and drying out of the skin cells.