Anatomy is the study of the form, arrangement, and structure of the tissues and organs that compose the body.
It is fundamental to the art and practice of veterinary medicine. The word, of Greek origin, means "cutting apart," and the dissection of the dead is the traditional method used in anatomy.
Anatomists do employ a host of other techniques to supplement the knowledge of gross anatomy obtained by use of the scalpel. The use of light microscopy and electron microscopy to study the structures invisible to the eye is a subdiscipline of anatomy known as microscopic anatomy. The discipline is also extended by the study of the stages through which the organism evolves from conception through birth, youth, and maturity to old age; this study, known as developmental anatomy, is rather broader in scope than classic embryology, which confines its attention to the unborn. The central focus of the anatomy now is to understand the relationships between structure and function, which can be described as functional anatomy.This book is concerned mainly with gross anatomy because of the general practice of presenting microscopic anatomy and developmental anatomy in separate courses. Nonetheless, the book draws on microscopic and developmental aspects to promote an understanding of gross anatomy or as a means of enlivening what would otherwise be a rather dry account.
The information obtained by dissection can be arranged and organized in two principal and complementary ways. Systematic anatomy is the study of groups of organs that are closely related in their functions to constitute body systems—the digestive system, the cardiovascular system, and so forth. Systematic anatomy lends itself to a comparative approach; readily combines gross, microscopic, developmental, and functional aspects; and provides the basis for the study of the other medical sciences. Moreover, for the beginner, it is easier to understand than regional anatomy. It is the approach employed in Chapters 2 through 10.
The alternative approach, regional anatomy, is used in the second and larger part of this book. Regional (or topographic) anatomy is directly concerned with the form and relationships of all the organs present in particular parts or regions of the body. It pays less attention to function than systematic anatomy but has immediate application to clinical work. Because matters of detail that may lack theoretical interest are often relevant to the clinician, it is necessary to give separate consideration to the regional anatomy of the different species. Regional anatomy is one of the foundations of clinical practice, and different aspects pursued with particular aims are sometimes known as surface, applied, surgical, and radiographic anatomy—terms whose connotations overlap but hardly require definition.