microscopic anatomy

Examples of microscopic anatomy in the following topics:

• Defining Anatomy

  • There are two major types of anatomy.
  • Microscopic anatomy is the study of tiny anatomical structures such as tissues and cells.
  • Within microscopic anatomy, two topics of study are of great importance:
  • Microscopic anatomy allows one to focus on these tissues and cells.
  • Human anatomy is the study of the structure of the human body, from the microscopic to the macroscopic.

• Microscopic Anatomy of the Stomach

• Microscopic Anatomy

  • Sarcomeres appear under the microscope as striations, with alternating dark and light bands.

• Microscopic Anatomy of Bone

  • The basic microscopic unit of bone is an osteon, which can be arranged into woven bone or lamellar bone.
  • The basic microscopic unit of bone is an osteon (or Haversian system).
  • A photo taken through a microscope that shows the anatomy of compact bone with a detailed view of an osteon.

• The Medical Renaissance

  • The Renaissance period witnessed groundbreaking developments in medical sciences, including advancements in human anatomy, physiology, surgery, dentistry, and microbiology.  
  • In addition, the invention and popularization of microscope in the 17th century greatly advanced medical research.
  • Bacteria and protists were first observed with a microscope by Antonie van Leeuwenhoek in 1676, initiating the scientific field of microbiology.
  • In 1543, Vesalius asked Johannes Oporinus to publish the seven-volume De humani corporis fabrica (On the fabric of the human body), a groundbreaking work of human anatomy.
  • The book advanced the modern study of human anatomy.

• Anatomy of the Gallbladder

• Specialty Microscopes and Contrast

  • There are many types of microscopes: optical microscopes, transmission electron microscopes, scanning electron microscopes and scanning probe microscopes.
  • One way to group microscopes is based on how the image is generated through the microscope.
  • Here are three ways we can classify microscopes:
  • Microscopes can also be classified based on whether they analyze the sample by scanning a point at a time (scanning electron microscopes), or by analyzing the entire sample at once (transmission electron microscopes).
  • Scanning Electron Microscopes: Referred to as SEM, these microscopes look at the surface of objects by scanning them with a fine electron beam .

• The Ear

  • The microscopic "hairs" are structural protein filaments that project out into the fluid.
  • Anatomy of the human ear; the length of the auditory canal is exaggerated for viewing purposes

• Nose and Paranasal Sinuses

  • The interior of the nasal cavity is lined with mucous membranes, nasal hairs, and cilia (microscopic hairs), that perform many of the specialized functions of the nose.

• The Fossil Record as Evidence for Evolution

  • Like extant organisms, fossils vary in size from microscopic, like single-celled bacteria, to gigantic, like dinosaurs and trees.
  • Fossils, along with the comparative anatomy of present-day organisms, constitute the morphological, or anatomical, record.
  • By comparing the anatomies of both modern and extinct species, paleontologists can infer the lineages of those species.