A&P I: 52 Must-Know Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards for Anatomy & Physiology I covering anatomical positions, body planes, cavities, cellular structures, transport mechanisms, and basic tissue types.

Anatomy

Study of body structures - what the parts are and where they are.

Physiology

Study of how body parts work and function.

Cell

The smallest living unit of the body.

Tissue

A group of similar cells working together to do a job.

Organ

A structure made of two or more tissue types working together for a specific job.

Organ System

A group of organs working together to perform a major body function.

Homeostasis

The body's ability to keep its internal environment relatively stable even when things change.

Negative Feedback

A response that reverses a change and brings the body back toward normal.

Positive Feedback

A response that strengthens a change until an event is complete.

Anatomical Position

Standing upright, facing forward, arms at sides, palms facing forward, and feet forward.

Superior

Above; toward the head.

Inferior

Below; toward the feet.

Anterior (Ventral)

Toward the front of the body.

Posterior (Dorsal)

Toward the back of the body.

Medial

Toward the midline of the body.

Lateral

Away from the midline; toward the side.

Proximal

Closer to where a limb attaches to the body.

Distal

Farther from where a limb attaches to the body.

Superficial

Closer to the body's surface.

Deep

Farther from the body's surface; more internal.

Sagittal Plane

Divides the body into left and right portions.

Frontal (Coronal) Plane

Divides the body into front and back portions.

Transverse Plane

Divides the body into upper and lower portions.

Cranial Cavity

Space inside the skull containing the brain.

Thoracic Cavity

Chest cavity containing the heart and lungs, among other structures.

Abdominal Cavity

Cavity containing organs including the stomach, liver, spleen, and much of the intestines.

Pelvic Cavity

Lower cavity containing structures including the bladder, reproductive organs, and rectum.

Diaphragm

Large muscle below the lungs that separates the thoracic and abdominal cavities and is essential for breathing.

Atom

The smallest unit of an element that still has that element's properties.

Ion

An atom or molecule with an electrical charge because it gained or lost electrons.

pH

A scale describing how acidic or basic a solution is. Seven is neutral; below seven is acidic; above seven is basic.

ATP

The cell's main immediately usable energy molecule.

Cell Membrane

The thin outer boundary of a cell that controls what enters and leaves.

Cytoplasm

Material inside the cell between the membrane and nucleus, including cytosol and organelles.

Nucleus

Contains most of the cell's DNA and helps control cell activity.

Mitochondrion

Organelle that produces much of the cell's ATP through cellular respiration.

Ribosome

Structure where proteins are made.

Rough ER

Membrane network covered in ribosomes; helps make and process proteins.

Smooth ER

Membrane network without ribosomes; involved in making lipids and detoxification, among other jobs.

Golgi Apparatus

Modifies, sorts, and packages proteins and lipids for transport.

Lysosome

Organelle containing enzymes that break down unwanted material.

Diffusion

Net movement of particles from high concentration to low concentration.

Osmosis

Diffusion of water across a selectively permeable membrane.

Passive Transport

Movement across a cell membrane that does not require cellular energy (ATP).

Active Transport

Movement across a membrane that requires cellular energy, often against a concentration gradient.

Isotonic

A solution with a similar effective solute concentration to the cell, so there is no major net change in cell volume.

Hypotonic

A solution with lower effective solute concentration outside the cell; water tends to move into the cell and it may swell.

Hypertonic

A solution with higher effective solute concentration outside the cell; water tends to leave the cell and it shrinks.

Epithelial Tissue

Tissue that covers body surfaces, lines cavities, and forms many glands.

Connective Tissue

Tissue that supports, binds, protects, stores, or transports.

Muscle Tissue

Tissue specialized to contract and produce movement.

Nervous Tissue

Tissue specialized for rapid communication using electrical and chemical signals.