anatomical structure

biological structure

Material anatomical entity that is a single connected structure with inherent 3D shape generated by coordinated expression of the organism's own genome.

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Typ	Organ
Übergeordnete Struktur	material anatomical entity
Lateinischer Name	biological structure
FMA ID	305751

Unterstrukturen

multi cell part structure Organ multicellular anatomical structure Organ muscle spindle Muscle muscle structure Muscle iliopsoas Organ neural tube lateral wall Organ central figure of scute Organ part of afferent arteriole forming the juxtaglomerular complex Organ podocyte slit diaphragm Organ podocyte slit junction Organ placental labyrinth villous Organ regenerating anatomical structure Organ reticuloendothelial system Organ retroauricular region Organ trophoblast island Organ septum Organ scale circulus Organ sex-specific anatomical structure Organ skeletal musculature Organ structure with developmental contribution from neural crest Bone keratin sheath of horn Organ osseus cochlea Nerve acellular anatomical structure Organ anatomical group Organ anatomical border Organ attachment site Organ baleen plate bristle Organ calf Organ cell group Organ chorionic villous tree Organ myelin Organ conceptus Organ material entity in digestive tract Organ anatomical system Organ cortical arch of kidney Organ dermal scale focus Organ lateral structure Organ surface structure Organ intercostal element Organ sac Organ ectoderm-derived structure Organ endoderm-derived structure Organ front hindlimb zeugopod Organ hoof lamina Organ glottis Organ juxtaglomerular apparatus Organ mesoderm-derived structure Organ morphological feature Organ temple Bone transparent eye structure Organ vestigial structure Organ wheel papilla Organ placental disc Organ

Frequently Asked Questions

What defines an anatomical structure?

An anatomical structure is a material, physical entity — a single, connected biological object with an inherent three-dimensional shape that is generated by the coordinated expression of an organism's own genome during development. This definition distinguishes anatomical structures from, say, spaces (cavities), processes (physiological events), or external objects. The 'inherent 3D shape' criterion emphasizes that the form arises from developmental programming rather than external forces.

What types of entities count as anatomical structures?

Anatomical structures encompass a broad hierarchy: from macroscopic organs (heart, liver, lung) and organ systems (nervous system, musculoskeletal system), down through tissues (cartilage, bone, epithelium), cells (neurons, hepatocytes), and even subcellular organelles (nucleus, mitochondria). Each level represents a discrete, connected entity with a characteristic shape arising from genomic expression — all qualify as anatomical structures under standard biological ontology definitions.

How is 'anatomical structure' used in biological ontologies?

In formal biological ontologies such as the Foundational Model of Anatomy (FMA) and UBERON, 'anatomical structure' serves as a top-level class that organizes all physical body parts in a hierarchical, machine-readable knowledge representation. These ontologies support biomedical databases, electronic health records, and research data integration by providing standardized, species-neutral terms for body part concepts across taxa.

References

Foundational Model of Anatomy — FMA:305751 Reference anatomy ontology (University of Washington)
UBERON — UBERON:0000061 Cross-species anatomy ontology (EMBL-EBI Ontology Lookup Service)

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Educational Disclaimer

This content is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for medical decisions.

Data sources: Terminologia Anatomica, Foundational Model of Anatomy, Wikidata.

anatomical structure

Unterstrukturen

Frequently Asked Questions

Verwandte Strukturen

References

Medizinischer Haftungsausschluss

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