Preface H

Abstract

Front Matter Preface © The McGraw−Hill Companies, 2001 x H uman Anatomy was written to serve as a foundation and resource for students pursuing health-related careers in fields such as medicine, dentistry, nursing, physician assistant, podiatry, optometry, chiropractic, medical technology, physical therapy, athletic training, massage therapy, and other health-related professions. Created to accompany the one-semester human anatomy course, this text presents a basic introduction to human anatomy for students enrolled in medical, allied-health, and physical education programs, or for those majoring in biolog-ical science. The focus of Human Anatomy is to provide applica-ble knowledge of the structure of the human body and foundation information for understanding physiology, cell biol-ogy, developmental biology, histology, and genetics. Practical in-formation is presented in this text that will enable students to apply pertinent facts to the real-world situations they might en-counter in their chosen profession. Many changes have been made in the sixth edition of Human Anatomy to provide students with a high-quality text for their course of study. Because human anatomy is such a visual sci-ence, many refinements and additions have been made in a con-tinuing effort to provide an effective art program. Many new illustrations, radiographs, and photographs (including images of cadaver dissections) make this text even more useful. Strengthen-ing clinical aspects of the text has been another major focus in the sixth edition. Additional Clinical Practicums have been added at the ends of the chapters throughout the text. These case studies and their accompanying images test student knowledge and demonstrate the application of anatomical information in a clini-cal setting. A final task in creating the sixth edition of Human Anatomy has been to revise the content for currentness and accu-racy. In keeping with the pace of research, updated information is presented on the history of current human genome research, the structure of DNA and RNA, protein synthesis, utilization of stem cells from red bone marrow and fetal tissue, and the classification of hair. The comprehensive nature of the sixth edition of this text and its current clinical information enable it to be used as a valu-able reference resource regarding the structure, function, develop-ment, senescence, and possible dysfunctions of the human body. OBJECTIVES In preparing and updating a text and its ancillaries (website, labora-tory manual, instructor's manual, test bank, and so forth), it is es-sential to consider both the needs of the student and the needs of the instructor. A well-written and inviting text is at the heart of an effective educational package. With this in mind, the following ob-jectives were formulated for the sixth edition of Human Anatomy: • To provide a text that is inviting and attractive—a text that is readable and informative with accurate, up-to-date infor-mation of practical concern. Human Anatomy aims to entice readers to study the material and thereby enhance their ap-preciation of life through a better understanding of the structure, function, and magnificence of their own bodies.