Semiotics is the study of signs and how they are used to communicate meaning. It is broken down into three branches: semantics, which examines the relationship between signs and what they refer to; syntax, which studies the formal structure of signs; and pragmatics, which analyzes the effects of signs. Semiotics has important anthropological dimensions and can be used to study all cultural phenomena as forms of communication, according to Umberto Eco. The importance of signs has been recognized throughout the history of philosophy.