Intro to Human Anatomy and Physiology - VOCABULARY Flashcards

A focused set of vocabulary flashcards covering core anatomy and physiology terms from the notes.

Anatomy

The study of body structure.

Physiology

The study of how the body functions.

Homeostasis

The maintenance of a normal, stable internal environment.

Homeostatic imbalance is when the body cannot maintain this stability due to disease, disorder, or injury.

Negative feedback

A control mechanism that counteracts deviations to maintain homeostasis.

Positive feedback

A control mechanism that amplifies a change to reach a specific outcome.

Water

An essential nutrient required for life and cellular processes.

Food

Nutrients used for energy, growth, and maintenance.

Oxygen

Essential for cellular respiration and energy production.

Heat

Energy necessary for metabolic reactions and temperature regulation.

Pressure

Internal forces necessary to maintain function (e.g., blood pressure).

Metabolism

Chemical reactions inside the body that maintain homeostasis.

Catabolism

Metabolic reactions that break down complex substances into simpler ones, releasing energy.

Anabolism

Metabolic reactions that build complex substances from simpler ones.

Energy

The capacity to do work, produced by metabolism.

Atom

The basic unit of matter; the smallest unit of an element.

Molecule

Two or more atoms bonded together.

Cell

The basic unit of life; the smallest unit capable of independent function.

Tissue

A group of similar cells performing a common function.

Organ

A structure composed of two or more tissues that performs a specific function.

Organ system

A group of organs working together to perform a common function.

Organism

A living being.

Anatomical position

Standard body position for describing locations: standing upright, facing forward, arms at sides, palms forward, feet forward and parallel.

Frontal (coronal) plane

Divides the body into anterior (front) and posterior (back) portions.

Sagittal plane

Divides the body into left and right portions.

Transverse (horizontal) plane

Divides the body into superior (top) and inferior (bottom) parts.

Dorsal cavity

Cavity that contains the brain and spinal cord.

Cranial cavity

The space inside the skull that houses the brain.

Spinal (vertebral) cavity

The hollow space that contains the spinal cord within the vertebral column.

Ventral cavity

The front body cavity that includes the thoracic and abdominopelvic cavities.

Thoracic cavity

Ventral cavity above the diaphragm; includes mediastinum, pericardial, and pleural cavities.

Mediastinum

Central compartment within the thoracic cavity containing the heart and other structures.

Pericardial cavity

The space surrounding the heart.

Pleural cavities

Two cavities surrounding the lungs.

Abdominopelvic cavity

Combined abdominal and pelvic cavities.

Abdominal cavity

Space containing stomach, intestines, liver, and related organs.

Pelvic cavity

Space containing pelvic organs, bladder, and reproductive organs.

Right hypochondriac region

Upper right abdominal region; near liver and gallbladder.

Epigastric region

Upper middle abdominal region; contains the stomach.

Left hypochondriac region

Upper left abdominal region; contains stomach/spleen.

Right lumbar region

Middle right abdominal region; contains portions of large intestine.

Umbilical region

Central abdominal region; contains portions of the small intestine.

Left lumbar region

Middle left abdominal region; contains portions of the large intestine.

Right iliac (inguinal) region

Lower right abdominal region; contains cecum and appendix.

Hypogastric (pubic) region

Lower middle abdominal region; contains urinary bladder.

Left iliac (inguinal) region

Lower left abdominal region; contains sigmoid colon.

Cross section

A hollow-tissue or organ section cut perpendicular to the long axis.

Oblique section

A cut at an angle other than a right angle to the long axis.

Longitudinal section

A cut along the long axis of an object.

Right hypochondriac region

Upper right abdominal region (included again to reinforce mapping).