Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology,6 edition

Book Preface

For twenty years we have had the pleasure and privilege of creating the best textbook we could for introductory courses in anatomy and physiology. The sixth edition of Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology continues this tradition, and we at F. A. Davis extend our gratitude to all of you who have made our textbook successful. We also welcome new readers, and thank you for choosing our book.

The sixth edition remains focused on presenting basic anatomy and physiology with the clarity of the text complemented and enhanced by superb illustrations. The text has been updated in many small ways to remain contemporary. These include discussions of apoptosis (programmed cellular death) in Chapter 3 and brown fat in Chapter 4. In Chapter 9, itch has been given full status as a cutaneous sense, and in Chapter 14 self-recognition and self-tolerance have been added to the presentation of immunity.

Illustrations new to this edition include the ATP–ADP cycle in Chapter 2, the neuroglia in Chapter 8, referred pain and optic tracts in Chapter 9, intercalated discs in Chapter 12, development of an allergy in Chapter 14, and aspects of acid–base regulation in Chapter 19. Several illustrations have been revised to include additional helpful detail, including the cell membrane in Chapter 3, a midsagittal section of the skull in Chapter 6, muscle actions in Chapter 7, and spinal cord neurons in Chapter 8. Many of the For Further Thought sections now end with an illustrated question. We hope students will find these enjoyable as well as helpful. Teachers, please keep in mind that the Instructor’s Guide contains a full list of these additions in the “New to This Edition” section for each chapter of the textbook. As always, your comments and suggestions will be most welcome, and they may be sent to us in care of the publisher: F. A. Davis Company, 1915 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103.