anatomy exam 1

Anatomy

The study of the structure of the body.

Physiology

The study of the function of body parts.

Metabolism

The sum of all chemical processes that occur in the body.

Anabolism

The process of building up larger molecules from smaller ones.

Catabolism

The process of breaking down larger molecules into smaller ones.

Homeostasis

Stable internal environment maintained by the body.

Cellular composition

The basic unit of life is the cell.

Organ

A group of tissues working together to perform a specific function.

Organ System

Group of organs that work together to perform complex functions.

Chemical level

The simplest level of organization involving atoms and molecules.

Tissue

A group of similar cells performing a common function.

Organism

A living being made up of one or more organ systems.

Anterior/Posterior

Directional terms indicating front and back of the body.

Superior/Inferior

Directional terms indicating above and below in the body.

Proximal/Distal

Directional terms indicating closer to or further from the point of attachment.

Medial/Lateral

Directional terms indicating toward the midline and away from it.

Superficial/Deep

Terms indicating closer to the surface or further away in the body.

Sagittal Plane

Divides the body into left and right parts.

Frontal Plane

Divides the body into anterior and posterior parts.

Transverse Plane

Divides the body into superior and inferior parts.

Cranial cavity

Space within the skull that houses the brain.

Spinal cavity

Space within the vertebral column that houses the spinal cord.

Pleural cavity

Part of the thoracic cavity containing the lungs.

Mediastinum

Central compartment of thoracic cavity between the lungs.

Pericardial cavity

Space surrounding the heart.

Abdominopelvic cavity

Contains organs of the digestive and reproductive systems.

Serous membranes

Membranes that line body cavities and cover organs.

Feedback loops

Mechanisms that control homeostasis in the body.

Negative feedback

A process that reduces the effect of a stimulus to maintain balance.

Positive feedback

A process that amplifies a response or process until an event occurs.

Gradients

Differences in concentration, pressure, or temperature that drive processes.

Cell-cell communication

Interaction between cells via electrical and chemical signals.

Monomer

A single building block of polymers.

Polymer

A large molecule made up of repeating monomer units.

Dehydration synthesis

Process that builds polymers by removing water.

Hydrolysis

Process that breaks polymers into monomers by adding water.

Carbo