Study Guide Exam 1 Flashcards

Vocabulary study cards covering all topics listed in the Exam 1 Study Guide for Anatomy and Physiology.

Anatomy

The study of the structure and shape of the body and its parts.

Physiology

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

Structural Organization

The hierarchical levels of organization in the human body, from chemicals and cells to tissues, organs, organ systems, and the organism.

Survival Needs

The essential factors required for human life, including nutrients, oxygen, water, normal body temperature, and atmospheric pressure.

Homeostasis

The maintenance of a relatively stable internal environment within the body, regulated by components such as receptors, control centers, and effectors.

Negative Feedback

A homeostatic mechanism that counteracts or reverses a deviation from a set point to restore internal balance.

Positive Feedback

A homeostatic mechanism that intensifies or amplifies an original stimulus or change until an endpoint is reached.

Cephalic

A regional term referring to the head.

Ocular

A regional term referring to the eye.

Thoracic

A regional term referring to the chest.

Abdominal

A regional term referring to the anterior torso below the diaphragm.

Superior

A directional term describing a structure located toward the head or upper part of the body.

Inferior

A directional term describing a structure located away from the head or toward the lower part of the body.

Anterior

A directional term describing a structure toward or at the front of the body.

Posterior

A directional term describing a structure toward or at the back of the body.

Frontal Plane

A vertical plane that divides the body or an organ into anterior (front) and posterior (back) portions.

Horizontal Plane

A plane that divides the body or an organ into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) sections.

Sagittal Plane

A vertical plane that divides the body or an organ into right and left sections.

Anatomical Position

The standard reference position where the body is erect, facing forward, feet together, and arms at the sides with palms facing forward.

Dorsal Body Cavity

The cavity located along the posterior aspect of the body, subdivided into the cranial cavity and the vertebral cavity.

Ventral Body Cavity

The larger cavity located on the anterior aspect of the body, divided into the thoracic cavity and the abdominopelvic cavity.

Serous Membranes (Serosas)

Double-layered membranes that line the ventral body cavities and cover the visceral organs within them.

Cell Membrane (Plasma Membrane)

The selectively permeable outer barrier of a cell that separates intracellular fluid from extracellular fluid.

Organelles

Specialized, membrane-bound or non-membrane-bound cellular structures that perform specific functions necessary for cell life.

Cytoskeleton

The internal structural network of protein filaments and tubules that maintains cell shape and enables cellular movement.

Passive Transport

The movement of substances across the cell membrane without the expenditure of cellular energy, moving down a concentration gradient.

Active Transport

The energy-requiring movement of substances across the cell membrane, typically against their concentration gradient.

Nucleous

The prominent cell organelle containing the genetic material (DNA) and directing cellular activity.

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid; the double-stranded nucleic acid that contains the genetic blueprint of the cell.

RNA

Ribonucleic acid; the nucleic acid involved in carrying out genetic instructions and synthesizing proteins.

Interphase

The period of the cell cycle during which the cell grows, conducts regular metabolic functions, and replicates its DNA in preparation for division.

Mitotic Phase

The phase of the cell cycle encompassing mitosis and cytokinesis, resulting in the division of the nucleus and cytoplasm into two daughter cells.