Introduction
Anatomy (from Ancient Greek ἀνατομή (anatomḗ) 'dissection') is the branch of morphology concerned with the study of the internal structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old science, having its beginnings in prehistoric times. Anatomy is inherently tied to developmental biology, embryology, comparative anatomy, evolutionary biology, and phylogeny, as these are the processes by which anatomy is generated, both over immediate and long-term timescales. Anatomy and physiology, which study the structure and function of organisms and their parts respectively, make a natural pair of related disciplines, and are often studied together. Human anatomy is one of the essential basic sciences that are applied in medicine, and is often studied alongside physiology.
Anatomy is a complex and dynamic field that is constantly evolving as discoveries are made. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the use of advanced imaging techniques, such as MRI and CT scans, which allow for more detailed and accurate visualizations of the body's structures.
The discipline of anatomy is divided into macroscopic and microscopic parts. Macroscopic anatomy, or gross anatomy, is the examination of an animal's body parts using unaided eyesight. Gross anatomy also includes the branch of superficial anatomy. Microscopic anatomy involves the use of optical instruments in the study of the tissues of various structures, known as histology, and also in the study of cells. (Full article...)
Selected general anatomy article
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Anatomical pathology (Commonwealth) or anatomic pathology (U.S.) is a medical specialty that is concerned with the diagnosis of disease based on the macroscopic, microscopic, biochemical, immunologic and molecular examination of organs and tissues. Over the 20th century, surgical pathology has evolved tremendously: from historical examination of whole bodies (autopsy) to a more modernized practice, centered on the diagnosis and prognosis of cancer to guide treatment decision-making in oncology. Its modern founder was the Italian scientist Giovanni Battista Morgagni from Forlì.
Anatomical pathology is one of two branches of pathology, the other being clinical pathology, the diagnosis of disease through the laboratory analysis of bodily fluids or tissues. Often, pathologists practice both anatomical and clinical pathology, a combination known as general pathology. Similar specialties exist in veterinary pathology. (Full article...)
Selected anatomical feature
In human anatomy, the penis (/ˈpiːnɪs/; pl.: penises or penes; from the Latin pēnis, initially "tail") is an external sex organ (intromittent organ) through which males urinate and ejaculate. The main parts are the root, body, the epithelium of the penis including the shaft skin, and the foreskin covering the glans. The body of the penis is made up of three columns of tissue: two corpora cavernosa on the dorsal side and corpus spongiosum between them on the ventral side. The urethra passes through the prostate gland, where it is joined by the ejaculatory ducts, and then through the penis. The urethra goes across the corpus spongiosum and ends at the tip of the glans as the opening, the urinary meatus.
An erection is the stiffening expansion and orthogonal reorientation of the penis, which occurs during sexual arousal. Erections can occur in non-sexual situations; spontaneous non-sexual erections frequently occur during adolescence and sleep. In its flaccid state, the penis is smaller, gives to pressure, and the glans is covered by the foreskin. In its fully erect state, the shaft becomes rigid and the glans becomes engorged but not rigid. An erect penis may be straight or curved and may point at an upward angle, a downward angle, or straight ahead. As of 2015[update], the average erect human penis is 13.12 cm (5.17 in) long and has a circumference of 11.66 cm (4.59 in). Neither age nor size of the flaccid penis accurately predicts erectile length. There are several common body modifications to the penis, including circumcision and piercings.
The penis is homologous to the clitoris in females. (Full article...)
Selected organ
The lungs are the main organs of the respiratory system in many terrestrial animals, including all tetrapod vertebrates and a small number of amphibious fish (lungfish and bichirs), pulmonate gastropods (land snails and slugs, which have analogous pallial lungs), and some arachnids (tetrapulmonates such as spiders and scorpions, which have book lungs). Their function is to conduct gas exchange by extracting oxygen from the air into the bloodstream via diffusion directly across the humidified airway epithelia, and to release carbon dioxide from the bloodstream out into the atmosphere, a process also known as respiration. This article primarily concerns with the lungs of tetrapods (particularly those of humans), which are paired and located on either side of the heart, occupying most of the volume of the thoracic cavity, and are homologous to the swim bladders in ray-finned fish.
The movements of air in and out of the lungs is called ventilation or breathing, which is driven by different muscular systems in different species. Amniotes like mammals, reptiles and birds use different dedicated respiratory muscles to facilitate breathing, while in primitive tetrapods, air was driven into the lungs by the pharyngeal muscles via buccal pumping, a mechanism still seen in amphibians. In humans, the main muscles of respiration that drives breathing are the diaphragm and intercostal muscles, while other core and limb muscles might also be recruited as accessory muscles in situations of respiratory distress. The lungs also provide airflow that makes vocalization (including human speech) possible. (Full article...)
Selected biography
Henry Gray FRS (1827 – 13 June 1861) was a British anatomist and surgeon most notable for publishing the book Gray's Anatomy. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) at the age of 25. (Full article...)
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The human eye is a sensory organ in the visual system that reacts to visible light allowing eyesight. Other functions include maintaining the circadian rhythm, and keeping balance. (Full article...) -
Skull of the Théviec burial. Female 25 to 35 years died a violent death with numerous skull fractures and bone lesions associated with the impacts of arrow. -
écorché (with mummification) of a horse and its rider, made between 1766 and 1771 by the French anatomist Honoré Fragonard (1732–1799). -
An image showing the underlying muscles of the face. -
Illustration of the adult digestive system.
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Some Wikipedians have formed a project to better organize information in articles related to Anatomy. This page and its subpages contain their suggestions; it is hoped that this project will help to focus the efforts of other Wikipedians. If you would like to help, please swing by the talk page.
WikiProject Anatomy update
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new good articles since last newsletter include Thyroid, Hypoglossal nerve, Axillary arch, Human brain, Cerebrospinal fluid, Accessory nerve, Gallbladder, and Interventricular foramina (neuroanatomy) |
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There is Introduction to Anatomy on Wikipedia published in the Journal of Anatomy [1] |
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We reach two projects goals of 20 good articles, and less than half of our articles as stubs, in July 2017. Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Anatomy/Archive 11#Congratulations to all |
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A discussion about two preferred section titles takes place here. |
Things to do
- Participate in discussions - a number of discussions such as those on our talk page or about our infobox would benefit from your opinion!
- Continue to add content to our articles
- Collaborate and discuss with other editors - many hands make light work!
- Help us simplify our anatomy articles
- Improve and update existing articles (lists of articles needing improvement)
- Example missing articles: Wikipedia:Requested articles/list of missing anatomy
- Reduce the number of stubs
Topics
Anatomy and morphology | ||
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| Fields |  | |
| Bacteria and fungi | ||
| Protists | ||
| Plants | ||
| Invertebrates | ||
| Mammals | ||
| Other vertebrates | ||
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