anatomyfyi

Python API client for human anatomy data. Look up 14,692 anatomical structures across 12 body systems, explore organ relationships, trace nerve pathways, and query muscle attachments — all from AnatomyFYI, a comprehensive anatomical reference covering systems from the skeletal framework to the nervous system.

Built on the AnatomyFYI database of 14,692 structures with Terminologia Anatomica identifiers, hierarchical parent-child relationships, and cross-system associations used by medical students, anatomists, and health-tech developers worldwide.

Explore the interactive anatomy reference at anatomyfyi.com — browse by body system, search structures, and explore organ relationships.

Table of Contents

• Install
• Quick Start
• What You Can Do
  • Body Systems
  • Structure Lookup
  • Organ Relationships
  • Anatomical Planes and Directions
• Command-Line Interface
• MCP Server (Claude, Cursor, Windsurf)
• REST API Client
• API Reference
• Learn More About Anatomy
• Also Available
• Health FYI Family
• License

Install

pip install anatomyfyi                # Core (zero deps)
pip install "anatomyfyi[cli]"         # + Command-line interface
pip install "anatomyfyi[mcp]"         # + MCP server for AI assistants
pip install "anatomyfyi[api]"         # + HTTP client for anatomyfyi.com API
pip install "anatomyfyi[all]"         # Everything

Quick Start

from anatomyfyi.api import AnatomyFYI

with AnatomyFYI() as api:
    # List all body systems (skeletal, muscular, nervous, etc.)
    systems = api.list_systems()
    for system in systems:
        print(f"{system['name']}: {system['structure_count']} structures")

    # Get detailed info on a specific structure
    heart = api.get_structure("heart")
    print(heart["name"])         # Heart
    print(heart["system"])       # Cardiovascular System
    print(heart["latin_name"])   # Cor

    # Search across all anatomical structures
    results = api.search("femoral")
    for r in results:
        print(f"{r['name']} ({r['system']})")

What You Can Do

Body Systems

The human body is organized into 12 major organ systems, each performing distinct physiological functions. AnatomyFYI catalogs structures within every system, from the 206 bones of the skeletal system to the complex neural networks of the nervous system.

System	Key Structures	Focus
Skeletal	Bones, joints, cartilage	206 bones, axial vs appendicular
Muscular	Skeletal, smooth, cardiac muscle	600+ muscles, origins & insertions
Nervous	Brain, spinal cord, nerves	Central & peripheral nervous system
Cardiovascular	Heart, arteries, veins	Blood circulation, cardiac cycle
Respiratory	Lungs, bronchi, alveoli	Gas exchange, breathing mechanics
Digestive	Stomach, intestines, liver	Nutrient absorption, GI tract
Endocrine	Glands, hormones	Pituitary, thyroid, adrenal regulation
Lymphatic	Lymph nodes, spleen, thymus	Immune defense, fluid balance
Urinary	Kidneys, bladder, ureters	Filtration, waste elimination
Reproductive	Gonads, uterus, accessory organs	Male and female systems
Integumentary	Skin, hair, nails	Protection, thermoregulation
Special Senses	Eyes, ears, nose	Vision, hearing, olfaction

from anatomyfyi.api import AnatomyFYI

with AnatomyFYI() as api:
    # Browse all body systems
    systems = api.list_systems()
    for s in systems:
        print(f"{s['name']}: {s['structure_count']} structures")

    # Get all structures in the nervous system
    nervous = api.get_system("nervous")
    print(nervous["description"])

Learn more: Body Systems · Glossary

Structure Lookup

Each of the 14,692 structures in the database includes its Terminologia Anatomica name (the international standard for anatomical nomenclature), Latin equivalent, parent system, and hierarchical position within the body.

from anatomyfyi.api import AnatomyFYI

with AnatomyFYI() as api:
    # Detailed structure lookup with Latin name and hierarchy
    femur = api.get_structure("femur")
    print(femur["name"])         # Femur
    print(femur["latin_name"])   # Os femoris
    print(femur["system"])       # Skeletal System
    print(femur["region"])       # Lower Limb

Learn more: Anatomical Structures · Guides

Organ Relationships

Anatomy is fundamentally about relationships — how structures connect, supply, innervate, and depend on each other. The cardiovascular system supplies every organ, the nervous system innervates every muscle, and the lymphatic system drains every tissue.

from anatomyfyi.api import AnatomyFYI

with AnatomyFYI() as api:
    # Explore relationships of a structure
    heart = api.get_structure("heart")
    print(heart["blood_supply"])   # Coronary arteries
    print(heart["innervation"])    # Cardiac plexus

Learn more: Organ Relationships · Glossary

Anatomical Planes and Directions

All anatomical descriptions reference the anatomical position (standing upright, palms forward) and use three cardinal planes — sagittal (left/right), coronal (front/back), and transverse (upper/lower). Directional terms like anterior/posterior, medial/lateral, and proximal/distal provide unambiguous spatial references.

Plane	Division	Clinical Use
Sagittal	Left / Right	MRI brain scans
Coronal	Anterior / Posterior	Chest X-rays
Transverse	Superior / Inferior	CT cross-sections

from anatomyfyi.api import AnatomyFYI

with AnatomyFYI() as api:
    # Search for structures by anatomical region
    results = api.search("anterior")
    for r in results[:5]:
        print(f"{r['name']} — {r['system']}")

Learn more: Anatomical Terminology · API Documentation

Command-Line Interface

pip install "anatomyfyi[cli]"

anatomyfyi systems                        # List all body systems
anatomyfyi structure heart                 # Structure details
anatomyfyi search "femoral artery"         # Search structures
anatomyfyi system nervous                  # All nervous system structures

MCP Server (Claude, Cursor, Windsurf)

pip install "anatomyfyi[mcp]"

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "anatomyfyi": {
            "command": "uvx",
            "args": ["--from", "anatomyfyi[mcp]", "python", "-m", "anatomyfyi.mcp_server"]
        }
    }
}

REST API Client

from anatomyfyi.api import AnatomyFYI

with AnatomyFYI() as api:
    systems = api.list_systems()               # GET /api/v1/systems/
    structure = api.get_structure("heart")      # GET /api/v1/structures/heart/
    results = api.search("brachial")           # GET /api/v1/search/?q=brachial

Example

curl -s "https://anatomyfyi.com/api/v1/structures/heart/"

{
    "slug": "heart",
    "name": "Heart",
    "latin_name": "Cor",
    "system": "Cardiovascular System",
    "region": "Thorax"
}

Full API documentation at anatomyfyi.com/developers/.

API Reference

Function	Description
api.list_systems()	List all 12 body systems
api.get_system(slug)	System details with structure list
api.list_structures()	List all 14,692 structures
api.get_structure(slug)	Structure detail (system, region, Latin name)
api.search(query)	Search across all structures

Learn More About Anatomy

• Browse: Body Systems · Structures
• Guides: Anatomy Guides · Glossary
• API: REST API Docs · OpenAPI Spec

Also Available

Platform	Install	Link
npm	npm install anatomyfyi	npm
MCP	uvx --from "anatomyfyi[mcp]" python -m anatomyfyi.mcp_server	Config

Health FYI Family

Part of the FYIPedia open-source developer tools ecosystem — human body, medicine, and nutrition.

Package	PyPI	npm	Description
anatomyfyi	PyPI	npm	14,692 anatomical structures, body systems, organs — anatomyfyi.com
pillfyi	PyPI	npm	Pill identification, FDA drug database — pillfyi.com
drugfyi	PyPI	npm	Drug interactions, pharmacology, side effects — drugfyi.com
nutrifyi	PyPI	npm	Nutrition data, food composition, dietary analysis — nutrifyi.com

License

MIT