User:Peggyndi/Sandbox

anatomy and physiology and how they are interrelated

Anatomy is the study of the structure and relationships between body parts while Physiology is the study of the function of those body parts and the body as a whole. 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 knowledge of function in the living organism. As one of the basic life sciences, anatomy is closely related to medicine and to other branches of biology. Anatomy is therefore almost inseparable from physiology, which is sometimes called functional anatomy. Anatomy and physiology are interrelated. Anatomy describes the location and structure of a particular body part. Physiology describes how and what it does - it is the study of how the body functions. Anatomy is the study of the structure of living organisms, comprising large scale anatomical structures (gross anatomy) and microscopic anatomical structures (microscopic anatomy). Anatomy is always linked to physiology, the study of how biological processes function in living organisms. In the medical sciences, it is not considered sufficient to simply identify a structure, its function must also be described and understood. The study of human anatomy and physiology provides an understanding of the structures of the body and how they work. When taking a basic anatomy and physiology course, the goal should be to learn and understand the structures and functions of the major body systems, remembering that organ systems don't just exist as individual units. Each system depends on the others, either directly or indirectly, to keep the body functioning normally. It's also vital to identify the major cells, tissues, and organs being studied and to understand how they function. Therefore, Anatomy is the study of the body and it's structures and physiology is the study of the function of those structures as it relates to the body. Anatomy without physiology would leave us with no answers as to how the body functions. Physiology would not exist without anatomy because there would not be any structures so there would be no need to explain how they function. Neither would be complete without the other. Pathology is the branch of medicine concerned with the cause, origin, and nature of disease, including the changes occurring as a result of disease, the manifestations of disease, especially changes occurring in tissues or organs or any variant or deviant condition from normal. Pathology in physiology is known as pathophysiology which is the study of the abnormal changes that take place in the body as a result of diseases. An example of a disease that can cause changes in the physiology in the body is known as sepsis. Sepsis (/ˈsɛpsɨs/; from Gr. σῆψις: the state of putrefaction and decay) is a potentially deadly medical condition that is characterized by a whole-body inflammatory state (called a systemic inflammatory response syndrome or SIRS) and the presence of a known or suspected infection.[1][2] The body may develop this inflammatory response by the immune system to microbes in the blood, urine, lungs, skin, or other tissues. A lay term for sepsis is blood poisoning, also used to describe septicaemia. Severe sepsis is the systemic inflammatory response, infection and the presence of organ dysfunction.Systemic inflammatory response syndrome or SIRS is evidence of the body's ongoing inflammatory response. When SIRS is suspected or known to be caused by an infection, this is sepsis. Severe sepsis occurs when sepsis leads to organ dysfunction, such as trouble breathing, coagulation or other blood abnormalities, decreased urine production, or altered mental status. If the organ dysfunction of severe sepsis is low blood pressure (hypotension), or insufficient blood flow (hypoperfusion) to one or more organs (causing, for example, lactic acidosis), this is septic shock. Sepsis can lead to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) (formerly known as multiple organ failure), and death. Organ dysfunction results from local changes in blood flow, from sepsis-induced hypotension (< 90 mmHg or a reduction of ≥ 40 mmHg from baseline) and from diffuse intravascular coagulation, among other things. Sepsis can be defined as the body's response to an infection. An infection is caused by microorganisms or bacteria invading the body and can be limited to a particular body region or can be widespread in the bloodstream. Sepsis is acquired quickest with infections developed in surgery and physical contact with someone with sepsis. Bacteremia is the presence of viable bacteria in the bloodstream. Likewise, the terms viremia and fungemia simply refer to viruses and fungi in the bloodstream. These terms say nothing about the consequences this has on the body. For example, bacteria can be introduced into the bloodstream during toothbrushing. This form of bacteremia almost never causes problems in normal individuals. However, bacteremia associated with certain dental procedures can cause bacterial infection of the heart valves (known as endocarditis) in high-risk patients. Conversely, a systemic inflammatory response syndrome can occur in patients without the presence of infection, for example in those with burns, polytrauma, or the initial state in pancreatitis and chemical pneumonitis.