Anatomy and Physiology: Key Concepts and Structural Levels

What is anatomy?

The study of body structures and their relationships.

What is physiology?

The study of how body structures function.

What is the relationship between anatomy and physiology?

Structure determines and influences function; the two are closely interconnected.

What is gross anatomy?

The study of structures visible to the unaided eye.

What is microscopic anatomy?

The study of structures that require magnification.

What is histology?

The study of tissues.

What is cytology?

The study of cells.

What is developmental anatomy?

The study of structural changes throughout development.

What is embryology?

The study of development before birth.

What is pathological anatomy?

The study of structural changes caused by disease.

What is regional anatomy?

The study of all structures in a specific body region.

What is systemic anatomy?

The study of structures belonging to a particular organ system.

What is surface anatomy?

The study of external anatomical landmarks.

What is comparative anatomy?

The comparison of anatomical structures among different organisms.

What are the six levels of organization?

Chemical, cellular, tissue, organ, organ system, and organismal.

What is the chemical level of organization?

Atoms and molecules.

What is the cellular level?

Cells, the basic structural and functional units of life.

What is the tissue level?

Groups of similar cells performing related functions.

What is the organ level?

Two or more tissue types forming a discrete structure with specific functions.

What is the organ system level?

Multiple organs working together to perform major body functions.

What is the organismal level?

The entire living human organism.

What is homeostasis?

The maintenance of relatively stable internal conditions.

Why is homeostasis important?

Cells and organs function properly only within certain internal conditions.

What is a variable in homeostasis?

A regulated condition that can change, such as temperature or blood glucose.

What is a receptor?

A structure that detects a change in a regulated variable.

What is a control center?

The structure that receives information and determines the appropriate response.

What is an effector?

A structure that carries out the response to a stimulus.

What is negative feedback?

A response that reverses or reduces the original stimulus.

What is positive feedback?

A response that amplifies or reinforces the original stimulus.

What is an example of negative feedback?

Body temperature regulation.

What is an example of positive feedback?

Labor contractions during childbirth.

What is a stimulus?

A change that causes a response.

What is a response?

The reaction produced by a stimulus.

What is anatomical position?

Standing upright, facing forward, feet forward, arms at sides, palms facing forward.

What does superior mean?

Toward the head or upper part of a structure.

What does inferior mean?

Away from the head or toward the lower part.

What does anterior mean?

Toward the front of the body.

What does posterior mean?

Toward the back of the body.

What does dorsal mean?

Toward the back side of the body.

What does ventral mean?

Toward the front or belly side of the body.

What does medial mean?

Toward the body's midline.

What does lateral mean?

Away from the body's midline.

What does intermediate mean?

Between a more medial and more lateral structure.

What does proximal mean?

Closer to the point of attachment or origin.

What does distal mean?

Farther from the point of attachment or origin.

What does superficial mean?

Toward or at the body surface.

What does deep mean?

Away from the body surface.

What does ipsilateral mean?

On the same side of the body.

What does contralateral mean?

On opposite sides of the body.

What is a sagittal plane?

A plane dividing the body into left and right portions.

What is a midsagittal plane?

A sagittal plane dividing the body into equal left and right halves.

What is a parasagittal plane?

A sagittal plane dividing the body into unequal left and right portions.

What is a frontal plane?

A plane dividing the body into anterior and posterior portions.

What is a transverse plane?

A plane dividing the body into superior and inferior portions.

What is an oblique section?

A cut made at an angle between standard planes.

What is the dorsal body cavity?

The body cavity containing the cranial and vertebral cavities.

What is the cranial cavity?

The cavity containing the brain.

What is the vertebral cavity?

The cavity containing the spinal cord.

What is the ventral body cavity?

The body cavity containing the thoracic and abdominopelvic cavities.

What is the thoracic cavity?

The cavity containing the lungs, heart, and other thoracic organs.

What is the mediastinum?

The central region of the thoracic cavity between the lungs.

What is the pleural cavity?

The cavity surrounding each lung.

What is the pericardial cavity?

The cavity surrounding the heart.

What is the abdominopelvic cavity?

The cavity containing the abdominal and pelvic cavities.

What is the abdominal cavity?

The cavity containing many digestive organs.

What is the pelvic cavity?

The cavity containing the urinary bladder, reproductive organs, and rectum.

What are serous membranes?

Thin membranes lining closed ventral body cavities and covering organs.

What is the parietal layer of a serous membrane?

The layer lining the cavity wall.

What is the visceral layer?

The layer covering the organ.

What is serous fluid?

Fluid that reduces friction between serous membrane layers.

What is the peritoneum?

The serous membrane associated with the abdominopelvic cavity.

What is the pleura?

The serous membrane associated with the lungs.

What is the pericardium?

The serous membrane associated with the heart.

What are the four quadrants of the abdomen?

Right upper, left upper, right lower, and left lower quadrants.

What are the nine abdominal regions?

Right hypochondriac, epigastric, left hypochondriac, right lumbar, umbilical, left lumbar, right iliac, hypogastric, and left iliac.

What is homeostatic imbalance?

A disruption of normal homeostasis that may contribute to disease.

What is metabolism?

The sum of all chemical reactions occurring in the body.

What is responsiveness?

The ability to detect and respond to changes.

What is growth?

An increase in cell size, number, or both.

What is differentiation?

The process by which unspecialized cells develop specialized structures and functions.

What is reproduction?

The formation of new cells or a new organism.

What is an organ system?

A group of organs working together to perform related functions.

What is the integumentary system?

Skin, hair, nails, and cutaneous glands.

What is the skeletal system?

Bones, cartilage, ligaments, and joints.

What is the muscular system?

Skeletal muscles and associated connective tissues.

What is the nervous system?

Brain, spinal cord, nerves, and sensory receptors.

What is the endocrine system?

Glands that secrete hormones into the blood.

What is the cardiovascular system?

Heart, blood, and blood vessels.

What is the lymphatic/immune system?

Lymph, lymphatic vessels, lymphoid tissues, and immune organs.

What is the respiratory system?

Organs involved in gas exchange.

What is the digestive system?

Organs responsible for digestion and nutrient absorption.

What is the urinary system?

Kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra.

What is the reproductive system?

Organs involved in reproduction and production of sex cells and hormones.

What is an atom?

The smallest unit of an element that retains its chemical properties.

What are protons?

Positively charged subatomic particles in the nucleus.

What are neutrons?

Neutral subatomic particles in the nucleus.

What are electrons?

Negatively charged particles surrounding the nucleus.

What determines an element's atomic number?

The number of protons.

What is atomic mass?

The total number of protons and neutrons in an atom.

What are isotopes?

Atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons.