Anatomy
(from the Greek word anatome,"dissection"), is a branch of
natural science dealing with the structural organization of living things.
It is an old science, having its beginnings in prehistoric times. For
centuries anatomical knowledge consisted largely of observations of
dissected plants and animals. The proper understanding of structure,
however, implies a knowledge of function in the living organism. Anatomy
is therefore almost inseparable from physiology, which is sometimes
called functional anatomy. As one of the basic life sciences, anatomy
is closely related to medicine and to other branches of biology.
