Pathology
Pathology
Pathology is a branch of medical science primarily concerning the cause, origin, and nature of disease. It involves the examination of tissues, organs, bodily fluids, and autopsies in order to study and diagnose disease.
Typical examples include cervical smear, sputum and gastric washings. Forensic pathology involves the post mortem examination of a corpse for cause of death using a process called autopsy. Dermatopathology concerns the study of skin diseases.27
The American Osteopathic Board of Pathology also recognizes four primary specialties: anatomic pathology, dermatopathology, forensic pathology, and laboratory medicine. Pathologists may pursue specialized fellowship training within one or more subspecialties of either anatomical or clinical pathology.
A pathologist is a medical healthcare provider who examines bodies and body tissues. He or she is also responsible for performing lab tests. A pathologist helps other healthcare providers reach diagnoses and is an important member of the treatment team.
Pathology is study of what causes disease and disease’s specific effects on biological tissues and fluids.
Other branches of pathology include:
- Anatomic pathology. The study of tissues, organs, and tumors.
- Cytopathology. The study of cellular changes and everything related to cells.
- Forensic pathology. Doing autopsies and legal pathology tests.
- Molecular pathology. The study of DNA and RNA sequencing, genes, and genetics.
There are three main subtypes of pathology: anatomical pathology, clinical pathology, and molecular pathology. These subtypes can be broken down into even more specific categories; pathology is a diverse field because so many different diseases and ways of studying diseases exist.
Pathology is a branch of medical science that involves the study and diagnosis of disease through the examination of surgically removed organs, tissues (biopsy samples), bodily fluids, and in some cases the whole body (autopsy).
