Anatomy: A Chronological Review of the Evolution of Context and Content

Abstract

Anatomy as a subject is an ancient medical science. The early practitioners of Anatomy were morphological explorers and observers. Anatomy was one of the earliest sciences that marked the transition of logical reasoning from philosophy to science. This is why it is appropriate to describe the early scientists as both philosophers and scientists. Anatomy was considered and purposefully practised by the early scientists as a subject that was indispensable to understanding the form and functions of the body and the causes of pathologies. The subject of Anatomy evolved greatly; yet, has remained the bedrock of modern health sciences. Consequently, Anatomy has increased in sophistication and content volume. Advancements in technology and increased demand for better solutions have given several perspectives to the subject; thus anatomy in its current form has several fields - primary and applied. While Anatomy started as what is currently called Gross Anatomy which is the study of tangible morphology, other primary fields including Embryology, Histology, Genetics and Histochemistry have evolved particularly due to the advancements and sophistications in methods of studying the body towards better understanding of form, functions and disorders. Obviously, the radical, yet positive and purposeful evolution of Anatomy has an interesting chronicle and impact on content dynamics and the contexts at each point in time. To this end, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of Anatomy in the context of its modern form, yet with a clear understanding of its evolution and how it has affected the content of its modern form. This review article considered the chronicles of Anatomy in term of its content and context at each stage.