Anatomy And Physiology

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Human anatomy is the scientific study of the structure of the human body. Physiology is the scientific study of the function of the human body. Anatomy and physiology are both derived from Greek words. The term anatomy means “to cut up” and the term physiology means “the study of nature”. Anatomy and physiology are both subdivisions of biology, which is the study of living organisms. In ancient times the word anatomize was used more commonly than the word dissect. Most terms used in the language of anatomy are of Greek or Latin nature. Many individuals from different cultures have contributed to the science of anatomy, but it was the Greeks and Romans that made the most significant contributions.

In Ancient Greece several Greek philosophers made a monumental impact on the future of scientific thinking. It was then that anatomy was first recognized as a science. One of the most famous and well-known Greek physicians of this time was Hippocrates (460-377 B.C.). Hippocrates, also known as the father of medicine, was well versed in the theory of anatomical organization. He believed that four main body fluids were recognized, and a specific body organ was associated with each fluid. Blood was associated with the liver, phlegm with the lungs, yellow bile (choler) with the gallbladder, and black bile (melancholy) with the spleen. This concept of fluids or body humors was discarded long ago, but it was paramount in the medical field for over 2,000 years. He was also believed to have written the Hippocratic Oath. This is an oath taken by physicians swearing to practice medicine honestly. Reciting the oath has two purposes; it is a public commitment by the doctor stating that he will preserve the values of the medical profe...

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...nes of a doctor’s medical education. Despite being a persistent portion of teaching from at least the renaissance, today’s teachings differ significantly from the past. However, the methods used to teach this have not changed much. The study of physiology dates back to 420 B.C., the time of Hippocrates. Hippocrates was known as the father of medicine while Claudius Galen was known as the founder of experimental physiology. But it was the critical thinking of Aristotle that created a connection between the structure and function of the human body. This marked the beginning of physiology. Due to the closeness in relativity anatomy, the study of form, and physiology, the study of function, are studied together as part of a medical curriculum. The stability of the human bodies’ internal environment in response to changes in external conditions is called homeostasis.

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