ABSTRACT
The contribution of anatomical pathology to the recognition and classification of disease has come about through the processes of inductive and deductive reasoning applied to naked-eye and microscopic observations of diseased organs and tissues. Anatomical pathologists are responsible for the initial detailed description and classification of virtually every structural abnormality that may occur in the human body. Some of the ways in which anatomical pathology will assist in the translation of advances at the molecular level are already apparent. Biomedical research has now developed a large and independent momentum and uses methodologies that are powerful but have little relevance to the routine work of the hospital anatomical pathologist. It is clear that collaboration of anatomical pathology and basic biomedical science is required if the next step in the evolution of anatomical pathology is to be fully realised.
