Anatomy

Definition

Anatomy is the branch of biology given to the study of the structure of living things.

Etymology

The word anatomy has been traced back to the Indo-European root tem- meaning "cut". In ancient Greek the word ἀνατομέ (anatome) meaning "dissection" arose from a sythesis of ἀνα (ana) meaning "up" or "back", and τέμνειν (temnein) to cut. The word passed through Latin as anatomia, Old French as anatomie, and on into Middle English still as anatomie.