The history of Anatomy department in medical faculties is simultaneous with the establishment of medical faculties in Iran and around the world. Anatomy department is among the first groups which were established in medical faculties. In other words, Anatomy is the most fundamental department in basic sciences and medicine. In the process of medical sciences development, specifically basic medical sciences, various fields have been added, but the prominent role of anatomical sciences still lingers, because fields of anatomy has been developing in line with new technological advancements.  If anatomy is to be considered from cell to body, today, in addition to macroscopic (gross) anatomy, microscopic anatomy (histology) has become part of the anatomical sciences, thanks to the presence of various kinds of microscopes. Nowadays, the microstructure of the cells are also studied by the help of electron microscopes, in the field of Anatomy. How an organism grow and develop is another field of Anatomical sciences in which the formation of fetus, organogenesis, , the impact of teratogenic agents on fetus, and the effect of gene expression and molecular pathways on pre/post H natal growth are investigated.

In recent decades, the issue of Evolution have also been discussed in anatomy departments, and the studies regarding evolutionary anatomy have changed the attitude toward several diseases and the therapeutic interventions.

Gross anatomy has also been greatly revised, and subjects such as functional and clinical anatomy have been added about which worldwide conferences on clinical applications of anatomy for medical students, residents, fellowships, dentists and other majors of medicine have been held.

The subject of how to teach anatomy had always been under the microscope from Hippocrates, Avicenna, Galen, and etc. till nowadays. There has been a number of ancient Iranian books regarding anatomy education such as The Canon of Avicenna. Nowadays, there are also scientific journals regarding the Education of Anatomy in which the new methods of teaching through medical imaging, plastination, Case base learning (CBL), problem base learning (PBL), and etc. have been advised and studied.

The need for basic medical sciences departments in the clinical practice and the functional attitude toward education and research in basic sciences such as anatomy renders the continuous cooperation between clinical and basic medical departments.