Activity 1. Anatomy and Physiology Subspecialties

PUNTANAR_Activity 1

PUNTANAR_Activity 1

by Aira Marie Puntanar -
Number of replies: 0

1. Anatomy as well as physiology have several subspecialties. Can you identify these

subspecialties and explain what they specifically study?

Anatomy is the science of body structures and the relationships among them. Its subspecialties include: (1)  Embryology or the study of the first eight weeks of an egg's development after fertilization; (2) Developmental biology or the  study of the entire development of an organism from egg fertilization to death; (3) Cell biology or the study of cellular structure and functions; (4) Histology or delving deeper into the microscopic structure of tissues; (5) Surface anatomy or the study of surface markings of the body for an understanding of the internal anatomy by utilizing visualization and palpation; (6) Gross anatomy or the study of structures feasible to examine even without a microscope; (7) Systemic Anatomy or the study of the structure of the body’s specific systems like the respiratory and nervous systems (8) Regional anatomy or the study of the body’s specific regions such as the chest; (9) Radiographic anatomy or studying body structures that can be visualized by X-rays; and (10) Pathological anatomy or the study of the gross to microscopic structural changes associated with disease. On the other hand, physiology is the science of body functions or the way body parts work. The subspecialties of physiology are: (1) Neurophysiology or the study of the functional properties of nerve cells; (2) Endocrinology or the study of hormones and their relation and way of controlling body functions; (3) Cardiovascular physiology the study of the functions of the heart and blood vessels; (4) Immunology or how the body protects itself from disease-causing agents; (5) Respiratory physiology or the study of the roles of airway passages and lungs; (6) Renal physiology or the study of the kidneys’ functions; (7) Exercise physiology or the study of how muscular activity causes changes in cell and organ functions; and lastly (8) Pathophysiology or the study of functional changes of the body in relation with disease and aging.

 

2. Can you give your own example on how a structure of a body part is related to its function?

An example that comes to mind when I read this question is the structure and function of an organism’s teeth. Some organisms like animals have sharper teeth than humans, however, teeth in general are designed to be sharp to facilitate the sliding, grinding, and chewing of food. Without sharpness, it would be a challenge to eat various types of food in our everyday lives.