Anatomy and Physiology: Introduction, Anatomical Terminology, and Chemistry of Life

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering anatomical organization, organ systems, directional terms, body planes, body cavities, serous membranes, and introductory chemistry principles from Week 1.

Anatomy

The study of body structure.

Physiology

The study of how body structures interact with one another.

Cell

The smallest unit of life, comprised of organelles.

Tissue

A community or group of similar cells that work together to form a body tissue.

Organ

A anatomical structure formed by two or more different tissues combining together.

Integumentary System

The body system composed of hair, skin, and nails that encloses internal body structures and serves as the site of many sensory receptors.

Skeletal System

The body system composed of cartilage, bones, and joints that supports the body and enables movement alongside the muscular system.

Muscular System

The body system consisting of skeletal muscles and tendons that enables movement together with the skeletal system and helps maintain body temperature.

Nervous System

The body system consisting of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves that detects and processes sensory information and activates bodily responses.

Endocrine System

The body system consisting of glands such as the pituitary gland, thyroid gland, pancreas, adrenal glands, testes, and ovaries that secretes hormones to regulate bodily processes.

Cardiovascular System

The body system consisting of the heart and blood vessels that delivers oxygen and nutrients to tissues and equalizes temperature in the body.

Lymphatic System

The body system consisting of the thymus, lymph nodes, spleen, and lymphatic vessels that returns fluid to blood and defends against pathogens.

Respiratory System

The body system consisting of the nasal passage, trachea, and lungs that removes carbon dioxide from the body and delivers oxygen to the blood.

Digestive System

The body system including the stomach, liver, gall bladder, large intestine, and small intestine that processes food for use by the body and removes wastes from undigested food.

Urinary System

The body system including the kidneys and urinary bladder that controls water balance in the body and removes wastes from blood to excrete them.

Anatomical Position

The standard reference posture in which an individual stands upright with their feet flat on the ground and their arms by their sides.

Anterior (Ventral)

Directional term describing a position toward the front of the body or a view from the front.

Posterior (Dorsal)

Directional term describing a position toward the back of the body or a view from the back.

Midline

The imaginary vertical line that divides the body into right and left halves.

Medial

Directional term meaning nearer to the midline of the body.

Lateral

Directional term meaning farther away from the midline of the body.

Superior

Directional term describing a position higher up or viewed from above.

Inferior

Directional term describing a position lower down or viewed from below.

Superficial

Directional term describing a position closer to the surface of the body or skin.

Deep

Directional term describing a position closer to the center or inside of the body.

Proximal

Directional term describing a position closer to the origin or point of attachment of a structure.

Distal

Directional term describing a position farther from the origin or point of attachment of a structure.

Sagittal Plane

A vertical plane that divides a structure or the entire body vertically into right and left portions.

Midsagittal Plane

A specific sagittal plane that runs vertically down the midline, dividing the body into equal right and left portions.

Parasagittal Plane

A sagittal plane that divides the body or structure into unequal right and left portions.

Frontal (Coronal) Plane

A vertical plane that divides the body into front (anterior) and back (posterior) portions.

Transverse Plane

A horizontal plane that divides the body into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) portions.

Oblique Plane

A plane that passes through a structure or the entire body at an angle.

Body Planes

Imaginary two-dimensional flat surfaces used to section the body, including the sagittal plane, frontal (coronal) plane, transverse plane, and oblique plane.

Dorsal Body Cavity

The posterior body cavity enclosing the central nervous system, subdivided into the cranial cavity (housing the brain) and the vertebral cavity (housing the spinal cord).

Ventral Body Cavity

The anterior body cavity comprising the thoracic cavity (pleural cavities, pericardial cavity, superior mediastinum) and the abdominopelvic cavity (abdominal and pelvic cavities).

Serous Membranes

Thin, double-layered membranes consisting of a parietal layer that lines cavity walls and a visceral layer that covers organs, separated by serous fluid (found in pleura, pericardium, and peritoneum).

Parietal Layer

The outer layer of a serous membrane that lines the walls of a body cavity.

Visceral Layer

The inner layer of a serous membrane that directly covers the organs.

Abdominopelvic Quadrants

The four clinical divisions of the anterior abdominal wall: Right Upper Quadrant (RUQ), Left Upper Quadrant (LUQ), Right Lower Quadrant (RLQ), and Left Lower Quadrant (LLQ).

Valence Electrons

Electrons residing in the outermost energy shell of an atom that participate in chemical bonding.

Planetary Model

An atomic model depicting electrons in fixed, circular orbits (depicted as rings) at precise distances from the nucleus, somewhat like planets orbiting the sun.

Covalent Bond

A chemical bond formed by the sharing of valence electrons between atoms to achieve a stable, full outer shell ($2$ in the first shell, $8$ in outer shells).

Ionic Bond

A chemical bond resulting from the complete donation and receipt of valence electrons, creating positively and negatively charged ions that attract one another.

Hydrogen Bond

An attractive intermolecular force formed when a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to a highly electronegative atom (like Nitrogen, Oxygen, or Fluorine) is electrostatically attracted to the lone pair of electrons on a neighboring electronegative atom.

pH Scale

A scale ranging from $0$ to $14$ measuring hydrogen ion concentration, where $7$ is neutral, values below $7$ are acidic, and values above $7$ are alkaline/basic.

Buffer

A chemical system that resists changes in pH when acids or bases are added, helping maintain blood pH around $7.4$.