Anatomy is the study of the physical structure of living things: what parts they have and how those parts fit together. When you study human anatomy, you learn about bones, muscles, organs, and how they connect to form a working body. When you study plant anatomy, you examine roots, stems, leaves, and the tiny tubes that carry water and nutrients.

Doctors and veterinarians spend years learning anatomy so they know exactly where everything is located and how it works. An artist studying anatomy learns how muscles shape the body's surface, helping them draw more realistic figures. Even understanding something as simple as why your elbow bends only one way requires knowing the anatomy of your arm: the bones, joints, and muscles working together.

Today we also use advanced technology like X-rays and MRI scans to study anatomy without surgery.

You might also hear someone describe the anatomy of something non-living, like the anatomy of a sentence (subject, verb, object) or the anatomy of a volcano (magma chamber, vent, crater). This means breaking something down to understand all its parts and how they work together.