Pathology is a branch of medicine that specialises in exploring the causes, development and changes of diseases in individuals, as well as the various effects of the entire process on patients. From a medical education perspective, it is classified as a basic science. In clinical practice, pathology is used to analyse sampled specimens and assist physicians in diagnosis and prescription; at the research level, pathology attempts to explain the unknown phenomena of physiological changes caused by diseases. Consequently, the discipline is sometimes known as the “doctor's doctor” in hospitals.

Pathology is a fundamental medical discipline that studies the law of occurrence and development of diseases and clarifies the nature of diseases, and is the foundation of the practice of medical science. The main task of pathology is to study the causes and pathogenesis of diseases, as well as the morphological structures, functional metabolic changes and disease outcomes of the body during the disease process, so as to provide the necessary theoretical basis and practice for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases.

Pathology is the key to medical research. It is only possible to enter the world of medical research when you are familiar with pathology and thus have a sound basis for experimentation.

Cancer and genetic research have become hot topics in recent years. Scientists have become increasingly specialised in the creation of new research subspecialties looking at everything from organs and cellsto the enzymes within cells, and even the genes and their constituent DNA. Molecular biology allows us to see how cellswork and understand the mechanisms of disease.

Whether it is medical treatment or research, it is essential to break complex systems down into detailed processes. The field of morbid anatomy is also needed to fully understand the fundamental structure of the human body. The two fields complementeach other in facilitating better research results, and therefore promoting the development of human beings. Without a good grasp of pathology, it is not possible to start exploring genetic and molecular chemistry.