Anatomy
<p ><b>Anatomy</b> is the branch of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biology" title="Biology" >biology</a> concerned with the study of the structure of organisms and their parts.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference" ><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy#cite_note-1" >[1]</a></sup> </p>
<p>
Anatomy is inherently tied to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embryology" title="Embryology" >embryology</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparative_anatomy" title="Comparative anatomy" >comparative anatomy</a>,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolutionary_biology" title="Evolutionary biology" >evolutionary biology</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phylogeny" class="mw-redirect" title="Phylogeny" >phylogeny</a>,<sup id="cite_ref-intro_HGray_2-0" class="reference" ><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy#cite_note-intro_HGray-2" >[2]</a></sup> as these are the processes by which anatomy is generated over immediate (embryology) and long (evolution) timescales. </p>
<p>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_anatomy" class="mw-redirect" title="Human anatomy" >Human anatomy</a> is one of the basic essential sciences of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicine" title="Medicine" >medicine</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference" ><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy#cite_note-3" >[3]</a></sup></p>
<p>
The discipline of anatomy is divided into <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macroscopic_scale" title="Macroscopic scale" >macroscopic</a> and<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microscopic_scale" title="Microscopic scale" >microscopic anatomy</a>. Macroscopic anatomy, or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_anatomy" title="Gross anatomy" >gross anatomy</a>, is the examination of an animal's body parts using unaided <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyesight" class="mw-redirect" title="Eyesight" >eyesight</a>. </p>
<p>
Gross anatomy also includes the branch of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superficial_anatomy" class="mw-redirect" title="Superficial anatomy" >superficial anatomy</a>. </p>
<p>
Microscopic anatomy involves the use of optical instruments in the study of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tissue_(biology)" title="Tissue (biology)" >tissues</a> of various structures, known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histology" title="Histology" >histology</a>, and also in the study of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_biology" title="Cell biology" >cells</a>.</p>
<p>
The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_anatomy" title="History of anatomy" >history of anatomy</a> is characterized by a progressive understanding of the functions of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organ_(anatomy)" title="Organ (anatomy)" >organs</a> and structures of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_body" title="Human body" >human body</a>. </p>
<p>
Methods have also improved dramatically, advancing from the examination of animals by dissection of carcasses and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadaver" title="Cadaver" >cadavers</a> (corpses) to 20th century <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_imaging" title="Medical imaging" >medical imaging</a> techniques including <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiography" title="Radiography" >X-ray</a>,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultrasound_imaging" class="mw-redirect" title="Ultrasound imaging" >ultrasound</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MRI" class="mw-redirect" title="MRI" >magnetic resonance imaging</a>.</p>
<p>
Anatomy and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physiology" title="Physiology" >physiology</a>, which study (respectively) the structure and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Function_(biology)" title="Function (biology)" >function</a> of organisms and their parts, make a natural pair of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multidisciplinary_approach" title="Multidisciplinary approach" >related disciplines</a>, and they are often studied together.</p>