Human Structure is an innovative introduction to human gross anatomy with a twofold approach to view the basics of anatomy from a broad scientific perspective and to explain the facts of form and function in terms and concepts that minimize the usual confusion and anxiety of beginning anatomy studies. Functional, comparative, and developmental anatomy are ingeniously woven into a single explanatory perspective, presenting human anatomy as an intelligible whole rather than as a heap of disconnected facts to be memorized. As a result, Human Structure is suitable not only for first-year medical students but also for undergraduates in premedical or biological science courses, for students in paramedical or college-level nursing programs, and indeed for anyone seeking a refresher course in human anatomy. The book begins with the generalized segmental organization characteristic of vertebrates and then examines the most obviously segmented parts of the human body: the bones, muscles, vessels, and nerves of the trunk between the neck and the pelvis. The book progresses through regions where the simple organizational plan has undergone more and more radical modifications and ends with the ancient and extreme specializations found in the head. At each step, the authors widen our intellectual understanding of how these modifications have been imposed, onto-genetically or phylogenetically, upon simpler precursors. The prose is personal and literate, peppered with inventive elucidations of concepts and accompanied by a wealth of illustrations designed for conceptual clarity and ease of visualization. The level of presentation has been finely tuned, over several years of class testing, to enhance its pedagogical effectiveness in human anatomy courses.

A version of the OpenStax text

1. Introduction -- 2. Phenotyping -- 3. Necropsy and histology -- 4. Mammary Gland -- 5. Skeletal System -- 6. Nose, sinus, pharynx and larynx -- 7. Oral cavity and teeth -- 8. Salivary glands -- 9. Respiratory -- 10. Cardiovascular -- 11. Upper GI -- 12. Lower GI -- 13. Liver and gallbladder -- 14. Pancreas -- 15. Endocrine System -- 16. Urinary System -- 17. Female Reproductive System -- 18. Male Reproductive System -- 19. Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues -- 20. Nervous System -- 21. Special senses, eye -- 22. Special senses, ear -- 23. Skin and adnexa -- Index.

There are many wonders in our world, but none is more wondrous than the human body. This is a textbook about that incomparable structure. It deals with two very distinct and yet interrelated sciences: anatomy and physiology. As a science, anatomy is often defined as the study of the structure of an organism and the relationships of its parts. Physiology is the study of the functions of living organisms and their parts. - p. 1.