What is anatomy?

Anatomy (Greek anatomē, “dissection”)

Is branch of natural science dealing with the structural organization of living things. It is an old science, having its beginnings in prehistoric times. For centuries anatomical knowledge consisted largely of observations of dissected plants and animals. The proper understanding of structure, however, implies a knowledge of function in the living organism.

Anatomy is therefore almost inseparable from physiology, which is sometimes called functional anatomy. As one of the basic life sciences, anatomy is closely related to medicine and to other branches of biology.

It is convenient to subdivide the study of anatomy in several different ways. One classification is based on the type of organisms studied, the major subdivisions being plant anatomy and animal anatomy. Animal anatomy is further subdivided into human anatomy and comparative anatomy, which seeks out similarities and differences among animal types.

Anatomy can also be subdivided into biological processes.
For example:
Developmental anatomy- the study of embryos
Pathological anatomy- the study of diseased organs.

Other subdivisions:
Surgical anatomy
Anatomical art
Are based on the relationship of anatomy to other branches of activity under the general heading of applied anatomy. Still another way to subdivide anatomy is by the techniques employed
For example:
Microanatomy, which concerns itself with observations made with the help of the microscope.
source: encarta encyclopedia