Introduction to Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology Textbook

Victoria Aspinall, Melanie Cappello

• Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann
• Year: 2015
• ISBN:
  9780702057335
• Edition: 3
• Topic: Medicine
• Subtopic: Veterinary Medicine

A sound knowledge of anatomy and physiology is an essential basis for the effective clinical treatment of companion animals. The new third edition Introduction to Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology Textbook offers clear and comprehensive of the common companion animal species. Updated throughout with a new section added on large companion animals, the new edition features augmented online learning resources with new questions and quizzes. Students can test their knowledge with multi-choice questions, drag and drop exercises and an image bank, while instructors can download questions, figures and exercises to use as teaching aids.

• An essential first purchase for all those embarking upon a veterinary career
• Includes augmented on-line resources with self-assessment tools and teaching aids
• Comprehensive coverage of all major companion animal species
• New large animal section added covering the cow, sheep and pig
• 'Applied Anatomy' tips relate theory to clinical practice, showing the relationship between anatomy and physiology and the disease process

Section 1

The dog and cat

Chapter 1

Principles of cell biology

Key Points

• All living organisms can be classified into different orders, classes and families linked by certain common characteristics. These groups can be further divided into a genus and species, which describes an individual type of organism.

• The body is made up of a number of systems, each of which has a specific function. These systems form the structural framework of the body or lie within one of three body cavities.

• Each system consists of a collection of tissues and organs, which are composed of the smallest units of the body – the cells.

• Cells can only be seen under the microscope and all have a basic structure with certain anatomical differences, which adapt them to their specific function.

• Each structure within the cell plays a vital part in the normal function of the cell and therefore in the normal function of the body system.

• Cells grow and divide by means of mitosis. Each mitotic division results in the production of two identical daughter cells containing the diploid (or normal) number of chromosomes.

• The healthy body contains 60–70% water, distributed into two principal fluid compartments – the extracellular fluid (ECF) (surrounding the cells) and the intracellular fluid (ICF) (within the cells).

• Body fluids move between these compartments and this movement is controlled by the chemical constituents of the fluid and the physical processes of diffusion and osmosis.

• Body fluids contain inorganic and organic compounds. The structure and percentage of all of these is fundamental to the balance and normal function of the body. Within the body there are many systems involved in maintaining a state of equilibrium – this is known as homeostasis.

‘Anatomy’ and ‘physiology’ are scientific terms used to describe the study of the structure of the body (anatomy) and how the body actually ‘works’ (physiology). In this section, we will study the anatomy and physiology of the dog and cat. In Section 2, we describe the comparative anatomy and physiology of the horse, the most common farm animals and some of the most commonly kept exotic species. We start by looking at the basic unit of the body – the cell – and then work our way through the tissues, organs and systems until the picture is complete.

Animal classification

When studying any aspect of biology it is important to have a basic understanding of the classification system used to group animals. How the species that one may meet in a veterinary practice fit into this classification system should also be understood. Classification is the way in which we ‘sort’ species into orderly groups, depending on how closely they are related in terms of their evolution, structure and behaviour. The science of classification is known as taxonomy.

If organisms have certain basic features in common they are grouped together into a kingdom. For example, if an organism is composed of more than one cell (i.e., it is multicellular) and obtains its food by ingestion, it is placed in the animal kingdom. Other kingdoms include plants and fungi. The animal kingdom is then further subdivided, based upon similarities of organisms, into a hierarchical system (Table 1.1). This narrows the classification down until we eventually reach a particular genus and species. Most living organisms are identified by a genus and species – a method known as the binomial system, invented by the Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus.

Table 1.1

Classification of the domestic dog and cat

Taxonomic group	Dog	Cat
Kingdom	Animal	Animal
Phylum	Chordata (vertebrate)	Chordata (vertebrate)
Class	Mammalia (mammal)	Mammalia (mammal)
Order	Carnivora	Carnivora
Family	Canidae	Felidae
Genus	Canis	Felis
Species	familiaris	catus
Common name	Domestic dog	Domestic cat

All the species within the animal kingdom are divided into those with backbones – the vertebrates – and those that do not have backbones – the invertebrates (e.g., insects, worms, etc.). The vertebrates are divided into eight classes. The classes that are of the most veterinary importance are:

• Amphibia – approximately 3080 species

• Reptilia – approximately 6600 species

• Aves or birds – approximately 8500 species

• Fish – approximately 30,000 species.

• Mammalia – approximately 4070 species.

These classes are then further divided into orders, and so on, until a species is identified, as in Table 1.1.

Most of this section of the book concerns the mammals, because the majority of animals seen in veterinary practice will be from this class. The distinctive features of mammals are the production of milk by the mammary glands and the possession of hair as a body covering. Examples of mammalian orders include:

• Insectivores (e.g., shrews, moles)

• Rodents (e.g., mice, rats)

• Lagomorphs (e.g., rabbits, hares)

• Carnivores (e.g., cats, dogs, bears, seals)

• Ungulates (e.g., cows, sheep, horses)

• Cetaceans (e.g., whales, dolphins)

• Primates (e.g., monkeys, apes)

Generally speaking, all mammals have a similar basic structural plan in terms of anatomy and physiology, but each species has been modified to suit its specific lifestyle. In other words, mammals have become specialised for activities such as running, digging, gnawing, jumping and eating specific foods.

Anatomical definitions

When studying anatomy and physiology it is important to understand the terms that are ...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• Preface
• About the authors
• Acknowledgements
• Section 1: The dog and cat
• Section 2: Comparative anatomy and physiology
• References and recommended sources of further information
• Appendix 1: Introduction to anatomical terminology
• Appendix 2: Multiple choice questions and answers
• Index