1. Anatomy as well as physiology have several subspecialties. Can you identify these subspecialties and explain what they specifically study?
- According to the lecture video of Prof. Abad, he enumerated five (5) subspecialties each under Anatomy and Physiology:
ANATOMY SUBSPECIALTIES - Embryology - specializes in studies on the development and growth of embryos in their first eight (8) weeks.
- Development Biology - studies an organism's development from fertilization of the egg to its death
- Cell Biology - studies cell structures and functions
- Surface Anatomy - focuses on the external characteristics of the body, and how it affects the inside.
- Gross Anatomy - studies related to the body parts/structures that are large enough to be examined without using a microscope or similar devices.
- Systemic Anatomy - studies on a specific system of the body, individually.
PHYSIOLOGY SUBSPECIALTIES - Neurophysiology - studies describing the functional properties of nerve cells
- Endocrinology - studies all about hormones, and everything related to it.
- Cardiovascular Physiology - studies the functions of the heart and the blood vessels
- Immunology - studies the body's immune system, and how the body reacts to disease-causing agents
- Renal Physiology - studies all about the kidneys
- Pathophysiology - studies regarding the effects of disease and aging on bodily functions.
2. Can you give your own example on how a structure of a body part is related to its function?
- The stomach, for example. Its main purpose is to digest food and extract nutrients for the body's development and growth. Without it, like most body parts, are essential for us to continue living. It has been described that the typical adult stomach has a capacity of 2.5 ounces when empty, equating to at least a quart of food (Healthline, 2018). As the stomach expands, it helps us consume and digest more food and water, containing the necessary nutrients we need for survival.
REFERENCES:
Healthline (2018, October 23). How Big is Your Stomach? https://www.healthline.com/health/how-big-is-your-stomach