Essay On Anatomy And Physiology

The study and development of Anatomy and Physiology dates back to ancient Greece, through the Middle Ages, and into our 21st century. However, many scientists believe that Anatomy and Physiology traces back to the early Stone Age. Cave paintings from the Stone Age depict an understanding and knowledge of the anatomy of animals. Scientists assume that the cave dwellers applied that knowledge to their own bodies. Ancient Egyptians also had a vast knowledge of the human body due to the mummification processes of their ancestors. They were experts in human embalming which set a new standard off precedence for the future of cadaver use. We will mainly focus on the development of anatomy starting with Ancient Greece. Modern science focuses on Ancient Greece as the true start of the study as it was more for scientific purposes as opposed to religious. We will then transfer over to the research done by Roman physicians, then to the Medieval Period, skipping over to our modern day techniques.

Anatomy during Ancient Greece

During the earlier times of anatomy, dissection of a human cadaver was prohibited. Many scientists used animals for dissection, and related it to the human body. The intrinsic study of anatomy began around the fifth century B.C. starting with the works of two scientists/writers, Alcmaeon (500 B.C.) and Empedocles (490-430 B.C.). During this time, Greek philosophers struggled with whether the heart or the head of a human was the center of the body. The first scientist to dissect part of the human body for research was Alcmaeon. He dissected out the eye and observed the optic chiasma and the connection of the optic nerve with the brain. [1] From there, he created the theory that the human brain was the center of intelligenc...

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...ak through in science. Ever since then, physicians and anatomists started to consider both structure and function of the human anatomy, thus Anatomy and Physiology. This type of research then aided the development of the microscope with Dutch microscopist Antonie Van Leewenhoek (1632-1723). The microscope introduced a whole new way of researching the physiology of the human body enabling observations in a cellular level.

Modern Anatomy

Since the microscope, modern technology has given rise to the success of Anatomy and Physiology. Radiological advances in our century have allowed scientists to study the human body without a corpse. Physicians now have access to CAT and PET scans as well as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study the body without the performance of surgery. With the continuing rise of technology, who knows what new research will arise in the future.