Using a combination of solar and interplanetary measurements, a topological model is developed of the overall magnetic and plasma structures. (i) The basic ‘framework’ is the magnetic field, whose structure is found by combining measurements made at the photosphere, the transition region, and at 1 AU. It divides the atmosphere into three physically isolated regions having quite different processes of energy and plasma transfer, and very different properties. (ii) A magnetically ‘open’ atmosphere is confined within ≈10% of the surface magnetic flux in the form of tiny nozzles. It expands from ≲0.1% of the photospheric area to 10% of the low corona and 100% of the solar wind. Energy absorption and resulting expansion is traced from chromospheric levels. (iii) A model of M-regions, high-speed plasma streams and interplanetary sector structure is based on refraction of acoustic waves and their focusing into the centres of sectors. (iv) The average magnetically enclosed atmosphere occupies≈1% of the photosphere, spreading to 90% of the low corona. Surface flux is concentrated into strands of ≈4×1018 Mx, with ≈30 per supergranule cell. The strands spread and also divide into smaller flux tubes to accout for chromospheric fine structure in which magnetic forces dominate. It is questionable that this complex of plasma elements should be called an ‘atmosphere’. (v) The third, non-magnetic part of the solar atmosphere comprises on averae ≈99% of the photosphere and a large part of the chromosphere (the network interior), but little if any of the corona. It is stressed that measurements or models of the ‘solar atmosphere’ have little meaning unless they relate to a particular one of the three regions described here. (vi) It is confirmed that most of the energy needed to heat the solar atmosphere traverses the photosphere as Alfven waves. Some energy is converted to acoustic waves at the boundaries of the magnetic fields, some is dissipated when the Alfven waves become non-linear.