Medical training in anatomy and physiology begins early for physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals. Because an understanding of general structure and the physical relationship of systems is critical to an eventual appreciation and understanding of the interplay of structure and function in physiology and pathological processes (pathology), a course in gross anatomy is the traditionally one of the first courses in a medical school curriculum. In addition, many medical scientists also undertake formal study in anatomy and physiology.

Following a course in gross anatomy (the large scale morphology of the human body), students usually move on to study tissue level anatomy (histology) and specialized anatomical systems (e.g., neurology is a course dedicated to the study of the brain and neural system) where additional emphasis is placed in the relationship between structure and function.

A formal...