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

Histopathology: microscopic appearance of invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast. The slide is stained with Haematoxylin & Eosin.

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

A flaccid uncircumcised penis; naturally occurring pubic hair has been deliberately removed to show anatomical detail

In human anatomy, the penis (/ˈpnɪs/; pl.: penises or penes; from the Latin pēnis, initially 'tail') is an external sex organ (intromittent organ) through which males urinate and ejaculate, as on other animals. Together with the testes and surrounding structures, the penis functions as part of the male reproductive system.

The main parts of the penis 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, 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 also several common body modifications to the penis, including circumcision and piercings. (Full article...)

Selected organ

Splanchnic is usually used to describe organs in the abdominal cavity.

It is used when describing:

Selected biography

Portrait attributed to Daniël Mijtens, c. 1627

William Harvey (1 April 1578 – 3 June 1657) was an English physician who made influential contributions to anatomy and physiology. He was the first known physician to describe completely, and in detail, pulmonary and systemic circulation as well as the specific process of blood being pumped to the brain and the rest of the body by the heart (though earlier writers, such as Realdo Colombo, Michael Servetus, and Jacques Dubois, had provided precursors to some of his theories). (Full article...)

Selected images

Categories

Anatomy (27 C, 134 P)
Animal anatomy (24 C, 135 P)
Human anatomy (19 C, 113 P)
Plant anatomy (8 C, 148 P)
Anatomists (11 C, 8 P)
Brain anatomy (5 C, 10 P)
Cell anatomy (9 C, 106 P)
Embryology (17 C, 168 P)
Eye anatomy (4 C, 3 P)
Histology (9 C, 116 P)
History of anatomy (3 C, 57 P)
Organs (anatomy) (22 C, 36 P)
Anatomical pathology (4 C, 122 P)
Sexual anatomy (8 C, 33 P)
Tissues (biology) (9 C, 84 P)
Anatomy stubs (12 C, 269 P)

WikiProjects

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.

new good articles since last newsletter include Thyroid, Hypoglossal nerve, Axillary arch, Human brain, Cerebrospinal fluid, Accessory nerve, Gallbladder, and Interventricular foramina (neuroanatomy)
There is Introduction to Anatomy on Wikipedia published in the Journal of Anatomy [1]
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
A discussion about two preferred section titles takes place here.

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