Department of Anatomical Science

Robert L. Jordan, PhD, Chairman

Course Descriptions:
Gross Anatomy
Histology

Human Gross and Developmental Anatomy
ANAT 550
The course in human gross and developmental anatomy consists of approximately 160 scheduled class hours devoted to cultivating an appreciation of a three-dimensional visual image of the human body and its development.

Formal lectures present general, applied, radiological and clinical aspects of anatomy as well as an overview of each region to be studied on the prosected cadavers. An appreciation of normal development of the body systems leads to an understanding of major congenital defects. A Course Companion, consisting of specific learning objectives and notes for each lecture, is provided to facilitate and coordinate the reading of the required textbook and anatomical atlas. All lectures are available through the University website on Angel, which also provides online testing.

Study of the cadaver follows a traditional sequence of the back, upper extremity, thorax and abdomen prior to the midterm examination. The sequence continues with the pelvis, perineum, lower extremity, head and neck for the final examination. Instructions for studying the prosections are given in the prosection manual.

The human gross and developmental anatomy course is further highlighted by the sessions in living anatomy, where students learn to appreciate the intricacies of the human body through inspection, palpation, percussion and auscultation of one another, and by small group discussions of relevant clinical cases.

The course is designed to enhance clinical integration of the basic sciences material.

Histology and Cell Biology ANAT 531

This course presents the structure and function of the human body as revealed by light and electron microscopy and cell biological techniques such as immunocytochemistry. The course commences with a discussion of the cell and its internal structures. The students are introduced to the concepts of how cells interact with each other and with their external environment. Cell signaling, cell secretion, the cell cycle and the extracellular matrix are some of the topics presented in the analysis of cell structure and function.
Students’ mastery of cell structure and function leads to the organization of cells into the four basic tissues of the body. Each of these is presented with emphasis on the role of cells in tissue organization and function. The cellular nature of the tissues and the interactions of cells with the extracellular matrix are stressed so that the students have a firm understanding of the concept of a histological tissue. An understanding of the four basic tissues is paramount to the students becoming complete and modern physicians.
The basic tissues of the body are then arranged into the organs and organ systems. Once again the cellular aspects of organ structure and function are emphasized since cells in the various organs are the main contributors to the function of those organs.
This emphasis on the cell in Histology and Cell Biology cannot be overly stressed since all diseases occur at the cellular level and thus students must understand the basic science of the cell and its mechanisms before they can understand how pathologies work. In addition, cell structure and function as presented in the Histology and Cell Biology course serve as preparation for the elaboration of these concepts in the Physiology and Pharmacology courses and indeed will prepare students as life-long learners of medicine.
The students are thus learning skills and gaining knowledge about information that is an absolute necessity for the modern physician.

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