SYSTEMATIC ANATOMY: HISTORY, WHAT IT STUDIES, TECHNIQUES, METHODS - ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY - 2024

The systematic anatomy is a branch of the general anatomy dedicated to the scientific study of the structure and systems that make up living things. Likewise, this discipline seeks to denote the order of the parts that constitute a whole, as well as the interrelationships between them.

In order to carry out its research, systematic anatomy must divide the body into different devices or systems with the aim of describing each of the parts in isolation. Therefore, it first focuses on the skeleton, then moves on to the ligaments and muscles; lastly, it describes the lymphatic and blood vessels down to the smallest structures.

Systematic anatomy is dedicated to the study of the structures and systems that make up living beings. Source: pixabay.com

In turn, systematic anatomy is based on the idea that there is a "biologically organized matter", which has its own shape, dimensions and is capable of replicating itself, giving rise to entities with similar properties. It should be noted that this matter is determined by the coordinated expression of groups of genes.

It is important to highlight that systematic anatomy draws from other scientific disciplines to be able to develop successfully, such as microscopic anatomy, macroscopic anatomy and histology.

History

From the beginnings of man to the 6th century BC. C.

The anatomical representations made by man of the human figure, animals and plants are very old. In the caves of Lascaux (France) and Altamira (Spain) there are cave paintings from 14,000 to 17,000 years old, where wounded animals are shown and the viscera are emphasized.

Likewise, ancient human figures have been found in different cultures and regions such as Russia, Czechoslovakia, America and Africa. To date, the oldest representation (35,000 years) is the Venus of Hohle Fels, which was discovered in 2008 in Germany and consists of a female size where the breasts and genitals are highlighted.

More recent records (10,000 years old), found in cultures that lived in the present regions of Japan, Germany and America show what can be considered as attempts at therapeutic interventions, such as cranial trepanations (cranial holes).

Interestingly, neoformed bone was found in the ridges in these trepanations, indicating that the individuals survived the interventions. Some authors suggest that these trepanations were carried out to treat cranial damage or to release the spirits that caused the diseases.

However, due to the absence of records (beyond the archaeological remains found), these findings cannot be considered a consequence of a scientific knowledge of anatomy. What can be said is that primitive man observed the brain and meninges through craniectomies.

Ancient egyptians

Ancient Egyptian painting showing wheat threshing - Source: Carlos E. Solivérez via Wikimedia Commons

Early records indicate that medicine was first recognized as a trade by the ancient Egyptians. This knowledge emerged from examination of animals, war wounds, funeral rites, embalming, and clinical observations.

The mummification process practiced by the Egyptians was decisive in the advancement of knowledge about both general and systematic anatomy. It should be noted that during the mummification procedure some organs such as the heart and kidneys were removed with great delicacy.

All these experiences were recounted by the Egyptians on papyri. In one found by Edwin Smith - written in 1600 BC. C.- A treatise on medicine and surgery is observed, where the meninges, the cerebral convolutions are mentioned and the term cerebrum appears for the first time.

Ancient Greece

The first documented dissections on the human body were carried out in the 3rd century BC. C. in Alexandria. At that time, the contributions of Hippocrates, the father of Western Medicine (460-370 BC), who wrote at least 5 anatomy books: On Anatomy, On Bones, On Glands and On Meats were decisive..

Other characters of the time whose works influenced the development of systematic anatomy were Herófilo (340 BC) and Erasistratus (310 BC). They both made multi-volume treatises, where they described the meninges, cerebellum, nerves, and heart.

The most prominent physician in ancient Greece was Claudius Galen (129-199 BC), whose contributions to human anatomy influenced European medicine for over a thousand years. Galen argued that medicine should be based on anatomical bases arising from observation, dissection and experimentation.

Galen's complete works were discussed by most physicians until the 16th century. However, although the Church did not officially prohibit anatomical studies, the social authorities rejected the dissection of human corpses until the 12th century.

For these reasons, anatomical research suffered a notable stagnation until the 13th and 14th centuries. Until that time, teaching consisted mainly of lectures on Galen's canonical works without verification through actual dissections.

The Renaissance

The new way of seeing the world during the Renaissance was decisive for the development of knowledge of systematic anatomy. During this period, the dissections were not only of interest to a medical forum, but also to the general public.

From the Renaissance, anatomy began to be studied more deeply. Source: pixabay.com

At this stage of history, the works of Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564) were conclusive, who described what he observed during the public dissection of human corpses, managing to reveal the human anatomy more than all his predecessors. In this way, Vesalius revolutionized not only systematic anatomy, but also all medicinal sciences.

Vesalius in his book De humani corporis fabrica described the human body as a whole full of structures and systems, clearing up Galen's confusion between "form" and "function." In addition, he carefully distinguished both aspects of reality, giving a static view of the human organism.

What does systematic anatomy study? (OR

The systematic anatomy has as object of study to know, determine and describe the structures and systems of the body. Therefore, it is a basic science that is complemented by other disciplines such as macroscopic, microscopic, and histology anatomy.

This is because microscopic anatomy allows systematic anatomy to study tissues and organs with the use of instruments such as the microscope, while macroscopic anatomy facilitates the analysis of those structures of the human body that can be seen, manipulated, easily measure and weigh.

Techniques and methods

Learning systematic anatomy requires the understanding and handling of morphological concepts by the specialist. Therefore, the researcher must use a descriptive, specific, precise and universal language called "Anatomical Terminology (AT)", which allows communication between professionals in the health area.

The techniques in the study of systematic anatomy are varied and have given rise to specializations, such as bioscopic anatomy, which uses instruments such as endoscopes or laparoscopes to recognize certain systems.

On the other hand, radiological or imaging anatomy studies the anatomical systems of the body and the organs that compose it through X-rays.

Systematic anatomy also includes pathological anatomy, which uses techniques such as biopsies (obtaining a fragment of tissue from a living being) in order to study them under the microscope. It also uses cytology, which is the study of samples of exudates, secretions, or liquids that contain isolated cells or in groups.

Main concepts of systematic anatomy

The largest anatomical structure of the body is the entire organism, while the smallest is a cell, which is the fundamental organizational unit of plants and animals.

Cell

They constitute the basic structural unit of living beings and can be classified into two groups: eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Eukaryotes are characterized by having a nucleus and organelles delimited by membranes, while prokaryotes lack these divisions.

Organ

The organ is an anatomical structure that consists of the maximum set of parts (different types of tissues) connected together, constituting an autonomous unit of macroscopic anatomy. Such as the liver, heart, stomach and kidney.

Part of an organ

The parts of the organ are anatomical structures formed by one or more types of tissues. These tissues are interconnected to constitute an anatomical system of size and structural complexity with morphological and functional attributes, such as the endothelium, the cortical bone or the neck of the femur, among others.

Tissue

Tissue is a part of the organ made up of cells and the material that exists between them -intercellular matrix-. The cells that make up this tissue have the particularity of being specialized and being united according to specific spatial relationships, such as epithelium, muscle tissue, lymphoid tissue, among others.

Body parts

It consists of an anatomical structure that constitutes, together with others, the entire body. It is made up of various kinds of organs and the tissues that group them. Examples: the head, the trunk, the thorax, among others.

Organ system

It is an anatomical structure that consists of all the members of one or more subclasses of organs; these limbs are interconnected by anatomical structures or body substances. For example: the skeletal system, the cardiovascular system, and the gastrointestinal system.

Anatomical spatial entity

It is a three-dimensional physical and spatial entity that is associated with the exterior or interior of anatomical systems, for example: the thoracic cavity, the pericardial cavity and the epigastrium.

Body cavity

It is a body space that is derived embryologically from the intra-embryonic coelom. It is located in the trunk, enclosed by the wall of the body and contains serous sacs, viscera, and other organs.

References

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