Anatomy and Physiology Final Exam Study Guide

What is the basic unit of life?

Cell

Level of Organization

Cell → Tissue → Organ → Organ System → Organism

Homeostasis

maintaining stable internal conditions (temperature, pH)

Types of Muscles

Skeletal → voluntary, striated, attached to bones

Cardiac → involuntary, found only in the heart, striated

Smooth → involuntary. found in organs (stomach, intestines), unstriated

Tendon

connects muscle to bone

Ligament

connects bone to bone

Sacromere

functional unit of muscle contraction

Orgin

attached area along the muscle; stationary → closer to center of the body (proximal)

Insertion

Mobile attachment on the muscle → farther from the center of the body (distal)

correctly label all parts of the Upper Body

Biceps → bend the arms

Triceps → straighten the arm

Correctly label all parts of the Lower Body

Quadriceps → straightens the leg

Gluteus Maximus → largest muscle (hip movement)

Endocrine System

• controls body functions using hormones

• maintains homeostasis

• regulates growth, metabolism, and reproduction

Endocrine Glands

Pituitary Glands → “master gland”; controls others

Thyroid Gland → regulates metabolism

Adrenal Glands → stress response (fight-or flight)

Pancreas → regulates blood sugar

Insulin

lowers blood sugar (in the Pancreas)

Adrenaline (epinephrine)

fight-or-flight response (in the adrenal glands)

Hormones

travel slower, but messages last longer; travel in the blood

Nevres

faster, but message are shorter; electrical signals

Label and explain the main structures and functions of the Respriatory system

Trachea → air passage to lungs

Bronchi → branches into lungs

Alveoli → tiny sacs where gas exchange occurs

Lungs → main breathing organs

Diaphragm → breathing muscle

Inhalation

diaphragm contracts → moves down → lungs expand

Exhalation

diaphragm relaxes → moves up → lungs deflate

The respiratory tract and how we breath

The respiratory tract is the pathway air travels through, starting at the nose or mouth, moving down the trachea, and branching into the bronchi inside the lungs, which divide into smaller tubes until reaching the alveoli where oxygen enters the blood and carbon dioxide is removed. Breathing is controlled by the diaphragm, which contracts to pull air into the lungs and relaxes to push air out

Can foods and solids get into you respiratory system? If so, what happens?

Yes, food and liquids can accidentally enter the respiratory system, but the body usually prevents this with a structure called the epiglottis, which covers the airway when you swallow. If something goes down the wrong way, it can trigger coughing or choking as your body tries to remove it. In more serious cases, it can block airflow and make it hard to breathe. If food or liquid reaches the lungs, it can also cause infections like aspiration pneumonia.

What is a disease or condition that can affect the respiratory system and where does it affect it?

Asthma is a chronic disease that affects the airways, especially the bronchi in the lungs. In people with asthma, these airways become inflamed, swollen, and narrow, making it harder for air to move in and out. This can cause symptoms like coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. Asthma mainly affects the lower part of the respiratory system, particularly where air travels into the lungs.

Gas Exchange

• oxygen enters blood from alveoli

• carbon dioxide leaves blood and it exhaled

Gas exchange is the process where oxygen and carbon dioxide are swapped between the lungs and the blood. It happens in the alveoli, tiny air sacs in the lungs, where oxygen from the air moves into the bloodstream and carbon dioxide moves out of the blood into the alveoli. This works through diffusion, meaning gases move from areas of high concentration to low concentration. The oxygen is then carried to the body’s cells, while carbon dioxide is exhaled out of the body.

How do the respiratory system and circulatory system interact?

• Oxygen enters through the lungs → blood carries the oxygen to the cells

• Carbon dioxide is returned to lungs for removal

The respiratory and circulatory systems work together to deliver oxygen to the body and remove carbon dioxide. In the lungs, oxygen enters the blood in the alveoli, and the circulatory system (through the blood and red blood cells) carries that oxygen to all the body’s tissues. At the same time, carbon dioxide from the cells is carried back through the blood to the lungs. The respiratory system then removes the carbon dioxide from the body when you exhale.

What is the largest organ in the body?

skin

What does the medulla oblongata control?

The medulla oblongata which is located at the base of the brain is in control of our breathing

Why is oxygen needed?

Oxygen is needed because it allows your cells to produce energy. During a process called cellular respiration, oxygen helps break down nutrients like glucose to release energy that your body uses to move, grow, and stay alive. Without enough oxygen, cells cannot function properly and may begin to die.

Correctly Label the parts of a muscle structure

Tendon → connects muscle to bone

Muscle Fiber → A single, long cell within a bundle

Myofibril → Long, thin threads inside a muscle fiber made of repeating sarcomeres

Sarcomere → the basic functional unit of a myofibril (the region between the two Z lines)

Identify each step of the levels of organization

1) Cell

2) Tissue

3) Organ

4) Organ System

5) Organism

What are the different parts that play a role in the process of gas exchange?

Alveoli → tiny air sacs in the lungs where gas exchange occurs

Capillaries → tiny blood vessels that surround the alveoli

Oxygen → moves from the alveoli into the blood

Carbon Dioxide → moves from the blood into the alveoli ti be exhaled