Anatomy Chapter 1

Key Terms for Chapter 1

Definition of Anatomy

The study of body parts and how they are organized

Physiology

The study of processes within the body

Cell

The basic structural and functional unit of life containing organelles that perform various functions needed for survival.

Tissues

Cells organized to perform a specific function

Organ

Structure consisting of two or more tissues that performs a specialized function.

Organ System

Group of organs coordinated to carry on a specialized function.

Organism

An individual living thing.

How many characteristics of life are there?

5 (for anatomy purposes)

Growth

The increase in size from birth until adulthood.

Reproduction

The process of producing more of the same organisms.

Responsiveness

The ability to sense and react to changes inside or outside of a body such as eating when you are hungry or feeling pain when injured.

Movement

External movements, such as the change in position and location of a body in the environment or internal movements such as the flow of blood and the beating of the heart.

Metabolism

The sum of all chemical reactions that happen inside a living organism to sustain life.

Respiration

Most organisms make energy by taking in Oxygen (O2) and excreting carbon dioxide (CO2)

Digestion

The process of breaking down food into usable nutrients to be absorbed by the blood

Circulation

The movement of chemicals and cells through body fluids

Excretion

The removal of waste from the body (Sweating, Urinating, Defecating, and breathing)

Atmospheric pressure

Pressure exerted by the weight of air surrounding the earth, equivalent at sea level to the weight of a column of mercury 760 millimeters high. Important for breathing

Hydrostatic Pressure

Pressure exerted by a fluid in response to a force, such as gravity or pumping of the heart. Blood pressure is an example of hydrostatic pressure.

Internal Environment

Conditions inside of the body, surrounding the cells. The environment the body’s cells live in.

Homeostasis

Dynamic state in which the body’s internal environment is maintained in the normal range.

Homeostatic Mechanism

Any of the control systems that help maintain a normal internal environment in the body.

Receptor

Specialized cell or organ that provides information about the environment. Also, cell membrane protein that binds specific molecules, called ligands, thereby sending a signal inside the cell.

Set Point

Target value of a physiological condition maintained in the body by homeostasis. For example, normal body temperature. (can be a range)

Effector

A muscle or gland, either of which can effect change in the body.

Negative feedback

A mechanism that returns the level of a chemical or other substance or condition in the internal environment to its set point level.

Example of negative feedback

Blood sugar regulation. Insulin brings blood sugar down when too high and liver will release sugar if too low.

Disruptions to homeostasis

Diabetes,Toxins, Age, and Infection

Positive feedback

A positive feedback loop is a process where the output of a system amplifies or accelerates the original change, pushing the system further away from its starting balance.

Example of Positive feedback

Child brith. Contractions keep going until the child is out.

Axial portion

Pertaining to the head, neck, and trunk.

Appendicular

Pertaining to the upper or lower limbs. (you call limbs appendages)

Cranial cavity

Space in the skull containing the brain. (Axial)

Vertebral Cavity

Canal formed by hollow areas in the vertebrae that contains the spinal cord. (Axial)

Thoracic cavity

Hollow space inside the chest containing the heart, lungs, trachea, and esophagus.

Abdominopelvic cavity

Space between the diaphragm and the pelvic outlet that contains the abdominal and pelvic organs. (Liver, Stomach, Gallbladder, Intestines…)

vicera

Organs in the thoracic and abdominopelvic cavities. 

Diaphragm

A sheetlike structure largely composed of skeletal muscle and connective tissue that separates the thoracic and abdominal cavities.

Mediastinum

The compartment in the thoracic cavity between the lungs. Includes heart, esophagus, trachea, and thymus (a in image)

Oral cavity

Includes teeth and tongue

Nasal cavity

Space posterior to the nose

Orbital cavity

Contains eyeballs and nerves

Parietal

Refers to membranes ATTACHED to wall of cavity

Visceral

Refers to membrane that is deeper and ATTACHES to an internal organ

Parietal pleura

Covers inner surface of thoracic cavity

Visceral Pleura

Membrane that covers each lung

Pleural cavity

Potential space between the visceral and parietal pleural membranes. There is no actual space hence the POTENTIAL space.

Pericardial membrane

Membrane surrounding the heart

peritoneal membrane

Membrane lining abdominopelvic cavity

Visceral peritoneum

Membrane that covers organ surfaces in the abdominal cavity.

Integumentary system

The organ system that includes the skin and its accessory structures. Protect internal tissues and regulate temperature.

Skeletal System

Contains bones, ligaments, and cartilage. (NOT tendons)

Muscular System

Organ system that includes the skeletal muscles.

Nervous System

Consists of brain, spinal cord, nerves, and sense organs. Uses neurotransmitters to communicate with each other and with muscles and glands.

Endocrine system

Includes all glands that secrete chemical messengers called hormones.

Cardiovascular system

includes heart, arteries, veins, capillaries, and blood. Used to transport substances throughout the internal environment.

lymphatic system

closely related to cardiovascular system. Composed of lymphatic vessels, lymph nodes, thymus, spleen, and lymph. Supports the cleansing of the bloodstream. Cells in lymphatic system are called lymphocytes

Digestive system

Breaks down food into simpler molecules that can pass through cell membranes. Includes mouth, tongue, teeth, salivary glands, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, small intestine, and large intestine.

Respiratory system

Moves air in and out of lungs to change gasses between the blood and air. Oxygen in, Carbon dioxide out for humans breathing.

Urinary System

Consists of kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra. removes waste from the blood to maintain electrolyte balance

reproductive systems

Male and female work together produce new organisms

Female reproductive systems

Consists of ovaries, uterine tubes, uterus, vagina, clitoris, and vulva. Organs maintain female sex cells (egg cells). Supports development of embryos.

Male reproductive system

Consists of scrotum, testes, epididymides, ductus deferential, seminal vesicles, prostate gland, bulbourethral glands, penis, and urethra. Transfer sperm cells into female reproductive tract

Superior/ Inferior

Above/ Below

Anterior/ Posterior

Front/ Back

Medial/ Lateral

Towards the midline/ Away from the midline

Bilateral

Structures that are equal on each side of midline

ipsilateral

Structures on same side of body

contralateral

structures on the opposite side

proximal/distal

closer to attachment point/ farther from attachment point

Superficial/ deep

near the surface/ farther from the surface

Sagittal sectioning

lengthwise plane splitting body left and right, not necessarily evenly split

Transverse

Horizontal, divides body into superior and inferior

frontal

plane that splits a body into anterior and posterior portions

9 body regions (need to memorize

epigastric, L+R hypochondriac, umbilical, L+R lateral (lumbar), pubic (hypogastric), L+R inguinal (iliac)

abdominal

region between thorax and pelvis

acrominal

point of shoulder

antebrachial

forearm

antecubital

space in front of elbow ( forearm armpit)

axillary

armpit

brachial

arm

buccal

cheek

calcaneal

heel

carpal

wrist

celiac

abdomen

cephalic

head

cervical

neck

costal

ribs

coxal

hip

crural

leg

cubital

elbow

digital

finger or toe

dorsal

back

femoral

thigh

frontal

forehead

genital

external reproductive organs

gluteal

buttocks

inguinal

groin

lumbar

the loin

mammary

breast