Anatomy is key to the perfect understanding of our body and its functioning, allowing us to study the structure, organization, and way the organs that make it up are related. However, there are several types within this science, each one focused on a different way of analyzing and observing these tissues. Macroscopic anatomy is one of them.
If you wonder what macroscopic anatomy is, keep reading because, in this FastlyHeal article, we explain it to you in detail.
Table of Contents
Concept of macroscopic anatomy
Macroscopic anatomy is the study of organs or parts of the body that are large enough to be seen with the naked eye and without the need to use a microscope. Macroscopic anatomy makes it possible to analyze and study these organs through direct or indirect observation, that is, through the use of instruments that allow it.
The methods of studying macroscopic anatomy can use invasive or non-invasive techniques to facilitate the observation and study of the organs of living beings. Some of the most commonly used non-invasive methods are:
- In endoscopy, using an instrument that includes a camera and will be inserted into an incision in the body, you can see the internal organs in great detail.
- Angiography allows the visualization of blood vessels by injecting an opaque liquid inside.
- X-rays are electromagnetic radiation for the medical examination of a specific area.
- Magnetic resonance imaging uses a magnetic field and radio waves to obtain images of the specific area of the body to be analyzed.
Dissection is also among the methods for studying anatomy on a macroscopic scale, which is used in cadavers for a complete exploration of their internal organs.
Types of macroscopic anatomy
This specialty is divided into the following branches or types:
- General, systematic or descriptive anatomy: allows the study of the human body by dividing it into devices or systems described and studied separately.
- Regional anatomy: the study of the body is carried out employing broad regions of the same, for example, the head, the thorax, and the upper or lower extremities.
- Topographic anatomy: allows the study of those areas of the body that are smaller but can still be seen with the naked eye, such as the wrist, elbow, or armpit.
- Physiological anatomy: carries out the study of the organs and systems of the body relating their structure to their function or functions.
- Surface anatomy: allows the study of the organism based on its surface. Through this discipline, the accidents of the body surface are related to the projection of the organs.
- Artistic anatomy: favors the study of the external anatomy of the body to improve it.
- Applied or clinical anatomy: in this discipline, anatomical knowledge is applied to a specific medical specialty, for example, topographic anatomy, radiological anatomy, etc.
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