Anatomy and Physiology Essentials: Organization, Homeostasis, Chemistry, and Cell Transport

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering basic levels of structural organization, characteristics of life, homeostasis, body planes, directional terms, body cavities, abdominopelvic regions, chemistry, cellular structures, and membrane transport processes.

Basic Levels of Structural Organization

The hierarchical levels of body organization: Atom/Ion (chemical) -> Molecule/Macromolecule (chemical) -> Organelle (cellular) -> Cell (cellular) -> Tissue -> Organ -> Organ System -> Organism.

Metabolism

All chemical reactions occurring within the body.

Catabolism

The breaking down of larger material into smaller components.

Anabolism

The building up of smaller material into larger molecules.

Responsiveness

Sensing and reacting to a stimulus to maintain internal body conditions within limits.

Differentiation

Creating and maintaining boundaries of structural organization.

Homeostasis

The mechanism that allows the body to maintain relatively stable internal body conditions despite changes outside the body.

Negative Feedback

A feedback mechanism activated when a stimulus detects internal body change in order to revert back to homeostasis / reverse a change.

Positive Feedback

A feedback mechanism used to further and continue the loss of homeostasis in radical changes / increase change until an event is completed.

Anatomical Position

Body posture characterized by standing straight up, feet flat, bones straight, palms facing out, and hands at the sides.

Transverse Plane

A body plane dividing the body horizontally into superior and inferior sections.

Sagittal Plane

A body plane dividing the body vertically into right and left sections.

Coronal Plane

A body plane dividing the body vertically into anterior and posterior sections.

Anatomical Directional Terms Diagram

Diagram illustrating directional terms: Superior (above) vs Inferior (below), Proximal (close to attachment) vs Distal (far), Superficial vs Deep, Anterior vs Posterior, Medial vs Lateral, and Ipsilateral vs Contralateral.

Ipsilateral vs Contralateral

Ipsilateral refers to structures located on the same side of the body; contralateral refers to two structures on opposite sides of the body.

Dorsal Body Cavity

Posterior cavity containing the cranial cavity (brain) and the vertebral cavity (continuation containing spine and spinal cord).

Ventral Body Cavity

Anterior cavity containing the thoracic cavity (pleural cavity for lungs, pericardial cavity for heart) and abdominopelvic cavity, separated by the diaphragm.

Body Cavities Diagram

Visual representation showing dorsal (cranial, vertebral) and ventral (thoracic, pleural, pericardial, abdominal, pelvic) cavities.

Abdominopelvic Quadrants

Four anatomical divisions: Right Upper (liver, gallbladder), Right Lower (appendix, ovary), Left Upper (stomach, spleen), and Left Lower (colon).

Abdominopelvic Regions Grid

Nine regions: Epigastric, Umbilical, Pubic, Right/Left Hypochondriac, Right/Left Lumbar, and Right/Left Iliac.

Concentration Gradient

A state where an area of high solute concentration gradually moves into an area of lower concentration.

Ion

A negatively or positively charged atom with a $+1$ or $-1$ charge (e.g., Sodium = $\text{Na}^+$, Chloride = $\text{Cl}^-$, Calcium = $\text{Ca}^{2+}$, Potassium = $\text{K}^+$).

Polarity

The unequal distribution of charge across a molecule or cell membrane (unequal = polarized; equal = non-polarized).

pH

The measure of hydrogen ion concentration; values below $7.0$ are acidic, values above $7.0$ are basic, and $7.0$ is neutral.

Buffer System

Physiological systems (respiratory and urinary) that act when pH falls out of homeostasis to help maintain a stable pH set point.

Phospholipid Structure Diagram

Structure essential in cell membranes consisting of a hydrophilic (polar, loves water) head and hydrophobic (nonpolar, hates water) tail.

Enzyme

A type of protein that acts as a catalyst to help the body complete tasks using much less energy.

ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)

The cell's main source of usable energy; releases energy when ATP breaks off a phosphate ($\text{P}$).

Karyotype

A test that shows chromosomes and organizes them into pairs by shape and size to check for chromosomal abnormalities.

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)

The complete set of a person's genes found in cell nuclei; functions to store and pass genetic information via four nitrogen bases: Adenine ($\text{A}$), Thymine ($\text{T}$), Guanine ($\text{G}$), and Cytosine ($\text{C}$).

Transcription

The process of copying the DNA message using mRNA during gene expression.

Translation

The process of converting mRNA into a functional protein.

Cell Membrane Components

Basic anatomic components of a cell including: Plasma Membrane (outer boundary separating inside/outside), Cytoplasm (inside plasma membrane, outside nucleus), and Nucleus (control center containing DNA).

Cholesterol (in cell membrane)

Lipid component that keeps the cell membrane stable and flexible; prevents it from becoming too stiff when cold and too fluid when hot.

Membrane Proteins (CTREZA)

Six major types of membrane proteins: Channels, Transporters, Receptors, Enzymes, Cell identity markers, and Adhesion molecules.

Glycocalyx

The 'sugar coating' on the outside of a cell formed by glycolipids and glycoproteins, involved in cell recognition and communication.

Passive Transport

Transport across the cell membrane that does not require energy, moving substances down a concentration gradient from high to low (e.g., simple diffusion, osmosis, facilitated diffusion).

Active Transport

Transport requiring energy (ATP) to move substances against a concentration gradient from low to high concentration (e.g., vesicle transport).

Channel Proteins vs Carrier Proteins

Channel proteins form tiny passageways through the membrane; carrier proteins grab onto substances and change shape to move them across.

Hydrostatic Pressure vs Osmotic Pressure

Hydrostatic pressure is fluid pressure that pushes water out of a space; osmotic pressure is caused by dissolved solutes that pull water toward areas with more solute.

Osmosis

The passive movement of water across a semipermeable membrane from an area of low solute concentration to high solute concentration.

Cell Transport and Diffusion Overview

Summary overview detailing diffusion mechanisms, factors affecting rate of diffusion, membrane proteins, and solution tonicity.

Isotonic, Hypertonic, and Hypotonic Solutions

Isotonic: equal solute concentration, no net movement; Hypertonic: higher solute outside, water moves out and cell shrinks; Hypotonic: lower solute outside, water moves in and cell swells.