Final answer:
The anatomy and physiology of pruritus are the study of the structures and functions in the body responsible for the sensation of itching, observing factors from neural pathways to skin responses.
Step-by-step explanation:
The anatomy and physiology of pruritus, which refers to itching, are the study of its structural basis within the human body and the functional mechanisms that cause the sensation. Human anatomy is the scientific study of the body's structures which includes observing injuries, dissections of cadavers, and modern imaging techniques. Human physiology involves the scientific study of the structures of the body's chemistry and physics, and how these structures work together to maintain life, including homeostasis, which is the state of steady internal conditions maintained by living organisms.
In the context of pruritus, anatomy and physiology might explore the sensory nerve fibers responsible for transmitting itch sensations, the skin structures involved, and the neural pathways that convey these signals to the brain where they are interpreted as itching. Understanding pruritus can involve various levels of structural organization of the human body—from molecular to organism level—and how these structures function to produce and modulate the sensation of itch.