Hello, I was just wondering what the difference between anatomical and physiological. I'm reading a reserach paper that talks about how light levels 'involve both physiological and anatomical changes to the leaves.'

I don't know what the difference between both of these terms are
Thanks

Hello! The terms "anatomical" and "physiological" refer to different aspects of biology. Let me explain the difference between them.

Anatomical refers to the study of the structure and organization of living organisms. It focuses on understanding the physical features, shape, size, and arrangement of various parts of an organism. This can include the study of organs, tissues, cells, and even subcellular structures like organelles. Anatomical changes typically involve alterations in the physical structure of an organism or its parts.

On the other hand, physiological refers to the study of how living organisms function and carry out their biological processes. It examines the functions and mechanisms by which different parts of an organism or its cells work together to perform specific tasks. Physiological changes usually involve alterations in the processes or functions of a living organism.

Now, referring back to the research paper you mentioned, when it says that light levels involve both physiological and anatomical changes to the leaves, it means that the effects of light on the leaves can cause both functional changes in how the leaves carry out their processes (physiological changes) as well as physical alterations in the structure or organization of the leaves (anatomical changes). The paper is suggesting that changes in light levels affect both the functional and structural aspects of the leaves.