BIOL 203 Lecture Study Guide

A set of Q&A flashcards covering key concepts from Topic 1 and Topic 2 of the BIOL 203 lecture notes.

What is the difference between anatomy and physiology?

Anatomy studies structure, while physiology studies function; anatomy asks what parts are and where, whereas physiology explains how those parts work.

What are the major divisions of anatomy?

Gross (macroscopic) anatomy and microscopic anatomy.

What are the levels of complexity regarding the structures of the body?

Chemical, cellular, tissue, organ, organ system, organism.

What is homeostasis and how do negative and positive feedback differ?

Homeostasis is the maintenance of stable internal conditions. Negative feedback reverses the change to return to a setpoint; positive feedback reinforces or intensifies the change.

In a homeostatic feedback system, list the components in order (stimulus, receptor, afferent pathway, control center, efferent pathway, effector).

Stimulus → receptor → afferent pathway → control center → efferent pathway → effector.

Name common directional terms used in anatomy (examples of at least a few).

Examples include anterior/ventral, posterior/dorsal, superior, inferior, medial, lateral, proximal, distal, superficial, and deep.

What are the major body planes discussed in lecture?

Sagittal (left-right), midsagittal (median), frontal (coronal), and transverse (horizontal) planes.

What are the basic subdivisions of the dorsal and ventral body cavities?

Dorsal: cranial cavity and vertebral (spinal) cavity. Ventral: thoracic cavity (pericardial and pleural) and abdominopelvic cavity (abdominal and pelvic).

What are the characteristics of the three serous membranes?

Each serous membrane has a parietal layer lining a cavity and a visceral layer covering organs, with a thin serous fluid between layers; names correspond to the cavity (parietal/visceral pericardium, pleura, and peritoneum).

What is the difference between intracellular and extracellular?

Intracellular means inside cells (cytosol); extracellular means outside cells (extracellular fluid and matrix).

What are the differences between passive and active transport?

Passive transport requires no energy (diffusion, osmosis, facilitated diffusion). Active transport requires energy (ATP) and moves substances against their gradients.

What are the three cellular adhesions discussed in class?

Tight junctions, desmosomes, and gap junctions.

Describe the process of signaling from one cell to another (cell-to-cell signaling).

A signaling molecule (ligand) binds to a receptor on a target cell, triggering signal transduction pathways that elicit a response; can be autocrine, paracrine, endocrine, or contact-dependent signaling.

What are the three types of cellular receptors discussed in class?

Ligand-gated ion channels (ion-channel receptors), G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), and receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs).

What are the four tissue categories and their general characteristics?

Epithelial (covers surfaces), Connective (binds/supports; has extracellular matrix), Muscle (contracts), Nervous (transmits signals).

What are the classes of epithelial tissue, how are they named, and where are they found?

Classified by cell shape (squamous, cuboidal, columnar) and arrangement (simple, stratified, pseudostratified). Examples: simple squamous (air sacs), simple cuboidal (glands), simple columnar (intestine); stratified for protection (skin).

What are the functional differences when describing glands?

Glands can be exocrine (secrete onto surfaces via ducts) or endocrine (secrete into the blood). Secretions may follow merocrine, apocrine, or holocrine modes.

What are the characteristics of epithelial membranes?

Epithelial membranes include mucous membranes (line openings to exterior), serous membranes (line body cavities with serous fluid, parietal vs visceral layers), and cutaneous membrane (skin; epidermis + underlying connective tissue).

What are the classes of connective tissues and how does connective tissue differ from epithelial tissue?

Connective tissues include loose and dense connective tissues, cartilage, bone, blood, and adipose; they have abundant extracellular matrix and relatively few cells, and they support, bind, or transport. They differ from epithelial tissue, which forms continuous sheets that line surfaces and glands.

What are the different features of each connective tissue discussed?

Areolar (loose) with a gel-like matrix; adipose stores fat; dense regular has parallel collagen fibers; dense irregular has random fibers; cartilage (hyaline, fibrocartilage, elastic) with firm matrix; bone with mineralized matrix; blood with plasma.

What are the basic steps of tissue repair after injury?

Injury → inflammation and clot formation → formation of granulation tissue → fibroblast proliferation and collagen deposition → epithelial regeneration → remodeling and possible scar formation.