Human anatomy, Hystology, and Movement sciences
Head of Section: Velia Maria D’Agata
The Section of Human Anatomy, Histology and Movement Sciences includes faculty members from the following academic disciplines: BIO/16 – Human Anatomy, BIO/17 – Histology, and M-EDF/01 – Methods and Teaching of Physical Activities.
The Section’s research activities focus on macroscopic, microscopic and ultrastructural morphology, with particular emphasis on morpho-molecular and morpho-functional correlations, as well as on processes of development and differentiation. Teaching activities, delivered across several degree programmes, are complemented by practical training sessions held in the various teaching laboratories.
The anatomical models teaching laboratory is equipped with human skeleton models, detachable anatomical models representing all systems of the human body, as well as individual bones and organs. Students may examine the anatomical models for study purposes by contacting the designated staff. Anatomical models may only be used in the rooms reserved for practical training activities.
The Section also has a facility for practical dissection exercises on animal organs. These activities enable students to gain an understanding of three-dimensional anatomical structures and to become familiar with the appropriate instruments used for this purpose, such as scalpels, anatomical and surgical forceps, etc.
Human Anatomy faculty members also conduct practical training sessions using the “Anatomage Table”. This system allows the human body and its individual parts to be visualised in 3D. Users can study human organs as if they were examining a real cadaver. Individual anatomical structures are reproduced in extremely high detail, with a level of accuracy comparable to real anatomy, and can also be sectioned. Sections can be performed along the three anatomical planes: sagittal, transverse and frontal. The “Anatomage Table” also makes it possible to examine the topographical relationships between the various organs and systems. The human body is displayed at life size on a large touchscreen monitor, allowing users to perform an interactive dissection.
The Section also has a facility for practical Histology training, equipped with 20 optical microscopes and sets of slides for the observation of histological sections from a wide range of human and non-human tissues. This provides students with an effective and comprehensive approach to learning Histology, helping them develop the skills required to analyse microscopic preparations of non-pathological tissues and to identify the key features necessary for their recognition.
Interactive Teaching Laboratories