Microscopic Anatomy

While gross anatomy provided the basis for many modern sciences, modern technology has revolutionized the study of microscopic anatomy. Starting with the invention of light microscopy and carrying through modern day inventions such as the electron microscope, the inner workings of cells and organisms are becoming increasingly understood. Entire new worlds of organisms, such as bacteria and single-celled eukaryotes, have been opened up for study. Cellular biology is an entire field dedicated to the study of cells, their organelles, and how they function. Microscopic anatomy is central to this study.

Microscopic anatomy covers everything from tissues, which are groups of similar cells, down to the inner workings of the molecules which direct the cell’s activities. A histologist studying muscle tissue, for example, would examine how the cells are held together in the tissue. Looking further into the cells using an electron microscope, he would see the complex arrangement of proteins in the cell which allow it to contract. He may also notice the nucleus, which contains the DNA coding for all of the proteins and products the cell produces.

Microscopic anatomy is often paired with biochemistry, molecular biology, and other disciplines to fully understand the organism or tissues being studied. Science knew for decades that cells contained many organelles. However, it was not until recent advances in DNA processing and protein analysis that the function of the many different organelles was understood. Using microscopic anatomy, scientist can also study the cells during the development of an organism. This is called embryology, and has developed into a wide field covering everything from human development to evolutionary relationships of organisms based on their developmental processes.