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How does physiology differ from anatomy?

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Diagram explaining ATP's role in powering cellular activities, with arrows showing ATP produced by mitochondria, chloroplasts, and glycolysis, and used for making biomolecules, transporting substances, and driving energy-requiring processes; includes a structural diagram of ATP with labeled adenine, ribose, and phosphate groups. — Physiology Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the power source of many biochemical reactions. It is produced in the cell structures and system listed at the left to energize the important life processes listed on the right. An abbreviated chemical formula of the structure of ATP is also shown. The two high-energy P―O―P bonds are responsible for its power.

While anatomy and physiology are distinct fields, they are deeply interconnected and often studied together because structure and function cannot be easily separated.1

Anatomy is a branch of morphology that focuses on the physical structure of organisms and their parts. It involves examining the body’s organization, often through methods like dissection, to understand the position, relations, and structural makeup of an organism.2

Physiology, by contrast, is the study of how living organisms—including their constituent cells and tissues—function. Rather than focusing on static structure, physiology emphasizes the mechanisms, processes, and vital activities that keep an organism alive. Modern physiology frequently utilizes experimental methods and principles from the physical sciences to investigate these functional processes at the molecular and cellular levels.314

In short, while anatomy provides the "map" of an organism's physical components, physiology explains how those components work together to sustain life.15