Pathology

Pathologist at work

Pathology is the study and medical diagnosis of disease. A person who does this work is called a pathologist. Techniques include dissection, microscopic examination of tissues and chemical analysis of body fluids. A pathologist may also perform an autopsy, to discover the cause of death.

Pathology is a science concerned with finding the cause (etiology) or confirming the presence of a disease through careful examination of a tissue or sample of any component of the body. Pathologists are responsible for diagnosing cancer, running hospital laboratories, heading medical examiner offices and blood banks, and play an important role in the drug development process.