On the importance of integrating comparative anatomy and One Health perspectives in anatomy education

Abstract

As a result of many factors, including climate change, unrestricted population growth, widespread deforestation and intensive agriculture, a new pattern of diseases in humans is emerging. With increasing encroachment by human societies into wild domains, the interfaces between human and animal ecosystems are gradually eroding. Such changes have led to zoonoses, vector-borne diseases, infectious diseases and, most importantly, the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant microbial strains as challenges for human health. Now would seem to be an opportune time to revisit old concepts of health and redefine some of these in the light of emerging challenges. The One Health concept addresses some of the demands of modern medical education by providing a holistic approach to explaining diseases that result from a complex set of interactions between humans, environment and animals, rather than just an amalgamation of isolated signs and symptoms. An added advantage is that the scope of One Health concepts has now expanded to include genetic diseases due to advancements in omics technology. Inspired by such ideas, a symposium was organised as part of the 19^th International Federation of Associations of Anatomists (IFAA) Congress (August 2019) to investigate the scope of One Health concepts and comparative anatomy in contemporary medical education. Speakers with expertise in both human and veterinary anatomy participated in the symposium and provided examples where these two disciplines, which have so far evolved largely independent of each other, can collaborate for mutual benefit. Finally, the speakers identified some key concepts of One Health that should be prioritised and discussed the diverse opportunities available to integrate these priorities into a broader perspective that would attempt to explain and manage diseases within the scopes of human and veterinary medicine.

Keywords: One Health; anatomy education; animal models; antimicrobial resistance; biopsychosocial model; comparative anatomy; integration in medical education; pandemic; zoonoses.

FIGURE 1

Use of animal models in ocular diseases. Diagrams of (a) sagittal section of a human eye; (b) retina of a healthy human eye; (c) retina in Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) exhibiting attenuated blood vessels; (d) an AAV2 viral particle used for gene delivery; (e) composition of the human retina with the rod and cone photoreceptor cells; (f) a Briard dog often used in translational studies of Leber congenital amaurosis

FIGURE 2

Chiari malformation. The sagittal magnetic resonance imaging (T1) views of (a) normal human brain and (b) Chiari malformation with cerebellar herniation through the foramen magnum into the proximal spinal canal (marked with red arrow). The images are courtesy of Assoc. Prof. Frank Gaillard, Radiopaedia.org (rID: 37605 and rID: 2592)

FIGURE 3

Temperature‐dependent sex determination (TSD) in reptiles and teleost fishes. (a) Some animals demonstrating TSD; patterns of TSD with one (b) and two (c) transitional zone(s)

FIGURE 4

The different respiratory pigments occurring in the animal kingdom. (a) haemoglobin, (b) haemocyanin, (c) chlorocruorin and (d) haemoerythrin possess unique molecular structures in oxygenated forms as shown here and, thus, impart different colours to the blood

FIGURE 5

The oxygen dissociation curve of haemoglobin. (a) A right shift of the curve occurs in mammals with decreasing body size; (b) a left shift of the curve occurs in foetal haemoglobin (HbF) or native adult haemoglobin (HbA) without 2,3‐DPG compared with HbA

FIGURE 6

The avian respiratory system. Diagrammatical representations of (a) human respiratory system for comparison; (b) avian respiratory system in which a series of air sacs are connected to the lungs to maintain a unidirectional airflow, the inset shows the series of capillaries in a bronchus for gas exchange

FIGURE 7

The powerful eyes of mantis shrimp. (a) the mantis shrimp with its two eyes (indicated by the white arrowhead, which are mounted on antennas to augment its field of vision); (b) anterior view of the two eyes of mantis shrimp; (c) higher magnification views of the eyes of mantis shrimp showing the arrangement of the photoreceptors that detect polarised light in the middle band

FIGURE 8

The role of equine guttural pouch cells in secreting vasoactive substances. A bar diagram showing nitrite production by rat vascular smooth muscle cells (Rat‐VSMCs), homogenised equine guttural pouch cells (Equine‐GPCs), and medium in which equine guttural pouch cells had been cultured (Equine‐GPC medium), with cell culture medium only as a negative control (only medium ‐ve control). Results are shown as mean ± standard deviation (n = 3). Data are expressed as % of Equine‐GPC medium. Significant differences of p < 0.05 and p < 0.01 identified in data points, when compared with the negative control, are marked with an asterisk (*) and triple asterisk (***) symbols, respectively

FIGURE 9

Equine musculature. Diagrammatic representations of (a) lateral view; (b) anterolateral with a close view of the equine shoulder (c) joint marked with a circle; (d) posterolateral view of equine musculature with a close view of equine hip (e) joint marked with a circle

FIGURE 10

Forelimb abduction by a giraffe drinking water. The image was taken in Namibia and reproduced from the personal collection of Dr Jonathan Holmes