Anatomy and Physiology Introductory Concepts and Imaging Methods

Vocabulary flashcards covering introductory anatomy definitions, non-invasive anatomical study methods, medical imaging modalities, and concepts of anatomical variation.

Anatomy

The study of the structure and shape of the body and body parts as well as their relationship to one another.

Physiology

The study of how the body and its parts work or function.

Inspection

A non-invasive method of studying anatomy by looking for abnormalities.

Palpation

A non-invasive method of studying anatomy by touching, pressing, and kneading the area.

Auscultation

A non-invasive method of studying anatomy by listening to the area.

Percussion

A non-invasive method of studying anatomy by tapping on the area and listening to the sound.

Radiography

A method of medical imaging that accounts for over half of all medical imaging; it penetrates tissue to darken photographic film beneath the body, causing dense tissue to appear white.

CT Scan

A medical imaging method that uses low-intensity x-rays and computer analysis to produce slice-type images with increased sharpness.

MRI Scan

A medical imaging method superior in quality to CT that uses electromagnets and exposes a person to radio waves to produce images.

PET Scan

A medical imaging method that assesses the metabolic state of tissue by injecting radioactive glucose, using color in the image to show which tissues are using the most glucose.

Sonography

The second oldest and most widely used medical imaging method, which uses high frequency sound waves echoing back from internal organs to produce an image that is not very sharp.

Anatomical Variation

Structural differences among individuals acknowledging that no two humans are exactly alike, including variations in muscles, organ numbers, vertebrae count, or aortic branching.

Situs Inversus

An anatomical variation characterized by a left-right reversal of organ placement within the body.