nursing year 1 - introduction to anatomy and physiology

for personal use, 2025

anatomy

study of an organism’s structure and the relationships among the structure

physiology

study of the function of the body structure

chemical level

level which includes atoms and molecules

atom

smallest unit of matter that participate in chemical reactions

molecule

combination of two or more atoms

cellular level

basic structural and functional units of an organism

tissue level

made up of groups of similarly specialised cells that perform certain special functions

organ level

structures that have a definite form and is composed of two or more tissues that have specific functions

system level

related organs that have a common function

organismal level

collection of structural and functional systems

integumentary system

consists of skin, hair, nails, and glands

skeletal system

consists of bones, joints, and cartilages

muscular system

consists of skeletal muscles

nervous system

consists of the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and the special senses

cardiovascular system

consists of the heart, blood, and blood vessels

lymphatic system

consists of lymph, lmyph vessels, lymph nodes, spleen, thymus, and tonsils

respiratory system

consists of the lungs, pharynx, trachea, and bronchial tubes

digestive system

consists of the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, anus, salivary glands, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas

urinary system

consists of the kidneys, bladder, ureter, and urethraen

endocrine system

consists of the hypothalamus, thymus, pancreas, ovaries, testes, pituitary, pineal, parathyroid, thyroid, and adrenal glands

reproductive system

consists of ovaries, testes, uterine tubes, uterus, vagina, epididymis, ductus deferens, and penis

metabolism

sum of all chemical processes in the body, including catabolism and anabolism

responsiveness

ability to detect and respond to changes in the environment

movement

motion of the whole body, organs, cells, and organelles

growth

increase in size and complexity due to the number of cells, size of cells, or a combination of both

differentiation

change from and unspecialised state to a specialised state

reproduction

formation of new cells for growth, repair, or replacement

reproduction

production of a new organism

homeostasis

regulation of the body to maintain equilibrium internally, with the use of the body’s regulatory processes

feedback system

the system which homeostasis follows

receptor

monitors changes in a controlled condition

control center

controls the range of values which a condition should maintain

effector

produces a response which affects the controlled condition

negative feedback system

reverses a change in a controlled condition

positive feedback system

strengthen or reinforce a change in one of the body’s controlled conditions

homeostatic imbalance

equilibrium of the body is disrupted

disorder

any derangement of abnormality of function

disease

illness characterised by signs and symptoms

body fluids

dilute, watery solutions which contains dissolved chemicals in cells

intracellular fluid

fluid within cells

extracellular fluids

fluid outside cells

interstitial fluid

fluid between cells and tissues

blood plasma

fluid within blood vessels

lymph

fluid within lymphatic vessels

cerebrospinal fluid

fluid in the brain and spinal cord

synovial fluid

fluid in the joints

aqueous humor

fluid near the surface of the eyes

vitreous body

fluid in the core of the eyes

anatomical position

standardised method of observing or imaging the body

prone

lying face down

supine

lying face up

superior

upper part of the body (cranial/cephalic)

inferior

lower part of the body (caudal)

anterior

front side of the body (ventral)

posterior

back side of the body (dorsal)

medial

near the midline

lateral

near the sides

ipsilateral

same side of the body

contralateral

different sides of the body

proximal

nearest to the point of attachment

distal

farthest from the point of attachment

superficial

external part of the body

deep

internal part of the body

rostral

near the front part of the head

unilateral

one side of the body

bilateral

two sides of the body

planes

imaginary flat surfaces that divides the body or organs into definite areas

sections

cut of the body made along the plane

body cavity

space within a body which protects, separates, and supports internal organs

cranial cavity

protects the brain, formed by the cranial bones

vertebral canal

contains the spinal cord, formed by bones of the vertebral column

meninges

layers of protective tissue that surround the cranial cavity and the vertebral canal

thoracic activity

formed by ribs, chest muscles, sternum, vertebral column (thoracic portion), and diaphragm

mediastinum

contains all contents of the thoracic cavity except the lungs;

cavity between the lungs, extending from the sternum to the vertebral column, and first rib to the diaphragm

pericardial cavity

fluid-filled space that surround the heart

pleural cavity

fluid-filled spaces that surround each lung

abdominopelvic cavity

from the diaphragm to the groin

abdominal cavity

consists of the stomach, spleen, liver, gallbladder, and small and large intestines

pelvic cavity

consists of the urinary bladder, internal organs of reproductive system, and portions of the large intestine

serous membrane

thin slippery membrane that covers the viscera

parietal layer

surrounds the wall of the cavities

visceral layer

covers the viscera within the cavities

serous fluid

reduces friction in the viscera

pleura

serous membrane of the pleural cavities

pericardium

serous membrane of the pericardial cavity

peritoneum

serous membrane of the abdominal cavity

oral cavity

consists of the tongue and teeth

nasal cavity

consists of the nose

orbital cavity

consists of the eyeball

synovial cavity

consists of the joints

abdominopelvic region

describes the location of abdominal and pelvic organs

abdominopelvic quadrants

imaginary vertical and horizontal lines that pass through the umbilicus