Surface anatomy (also called
superficial anatomy and
visual anatomy) is the study of the external features of the body. It deals with anatomical features that can be studied by sight, without
dissection. As such, it is a branch of
gross anatomy, along with
endoscopic and
radiological anatomy. Surface anatomy is a descriptive science. In particular, in the case of
human surface anatomy, these are the form and proportions of the human body and the surface landmarks which correspond to deeper structures hidden from view, both in static pose and in motion.