Physiology 201 Lab 1 - Anatomical Language, Body Cavities, Histology, and Skin

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering introductory anatomical terminology, body cavities, serous membranes, histology of nervous and muscle tissue, and integumentary structures based on Physiology 201 notes.

Standard Anatomical Position

The standardized posture of the human body standing upright, facing forward, with feet flat on the floor, arms at the sides, and palms facing forward.

Arm (Anatomical Region)

The specific region of the upper extremity located between the shoulder and the elbow.

Forearm (Anatomical Region)

The specific region of the upper extremity located between the elbow and the wrist.

Thigh (Anatomical Region)

The specific region of the lower extremity located between the hip and the knee.

Leg (Anatomical Region)

The specific region of the lower extremity located between the knee and the ankle.

Directional Terms

Terms used to describe the location of body structures relative to other structures.

Body Planes

Flat surfaces that divide the body or its organs in order to visualize internal structures.

Body Sections

Cuts of the body or its organs made along a plane, categorized into longitudinal sections, cross-sections, and oblique sections.

Longitudinal Section

A cut along the long axis of a body part or organ.

Cross-Section

A cut perpendicular to the long axis of a body part or organ.

Oblique Section

A cut made at an angle between a longitudinal section and a cross-section.

Dorsal Cavity

The body cavity located in the back of the body, containing the cranial cavity and spinal cavity.

Ventral Cavity

The body cavity located in the front of the body, containing the thoracic cavity and abdominopelvic cavity.

Cranial Cavity

A subdivision of the dorsal cavity that houses the brain.

Spinal Cavity

A subdivision of the dorsal cavity that houses the spinal cord.

Thoracic Cavity

The superior division of the ventral cavity containing the pleural cavities, mediastinum, and pericardial cavity.

Pleural Cavities

Subdivisions of the thoracic cavity that enclose the lungs.

Mediastinum

A central region within the thoracic cavity that houses the trachea and esophagus, as well as the pericardial cavity.

Pericardial Cavity

A cavity within the mediastinum of the thoracic cavity that houses the heart and great vessels.

Abdominopelvic Cavity

The inferior portion of the ventral cavity located below the diaphragm, subdivided into the abdominal cavity and pelvic cavity.

Abdominal Cavity

The superior portion of the abdominopelvic cavity housing organs such as the stomach, liver, gallbladder, spleen, pancreas, small intestine, large intestine, kidneys, and adrenal glands.

Pelvic Cavity

The inferior portion of the abdominopelvic cavity housing organs such as portions of the large intestine, rectum, urinary bladder, and reproductive organs.

Serous Membranes

Double-layered protective membranes in the ventral cavity that secrete serous fluid to reduce friction on internal organs during movement.

Parietal Layer

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

Visceral Layer

The inner layer of a serous membrane that attaches directly to and covers the organ.

Pericardium

The specific serous membrane surrounding the heart in the pericardial cavity.

Pleura

The specific serous membrane surrounding a lung in the pleural cavity (designated as left pleura or right pleura).

Peritoneum

The specific serous membrane surrounding the abdominal and pelvic cavities and covering many of their organs.

Retroperitoneal

Describing organs located behind the peritoneum, such as the kidneys and adrenal glands.

Subperitoneal

Describing organs located below the peritoneum, such as the urinary bladder and the last part of the rectum.

Histology

The microscopic study of tissues and their structures.

Four Primary Tissue Types

The four fundamental tissue classifications in the human body: connective tissue, epithelial tissue, muscle tissue, and nervous tissue.

Neurons

A category of nervous tissue cells consisting of large cells with processes extending from the soma (dendrites and axons) that receive and send information.

Neuroglia

Small cells in nervous tissue that surround neurons to support them and assist in their functioning.

Soma

The cell body of a neuron that contains the nucleus.

Dendrites

Cellular processes extending from the neuron soma that receive incoming information.

Axon

A long cellular process extending from the neuron soma that transmits outgoing information.

Myocytes

Elongated muscle cells (muscle fibers) that contract and shorten to cause movement.

Skeletal Muscle Tissue

A specific tissue type composed of long, cylindrical, unbranched, striated fibers with $3\text{--}5$ nuclei per cell under voluntary control, attached to bones and skin.

Cardiac Muscle Tissue

A specific tissue type composed of branching, cylindrical, striated fibers with $1\text{--}2$ nuclei per cell and intercalated disks under involuntary control, located in the heart wall.

Smooth Muscle Tissue

A specific tissue type composed of non-striated, spindle-shaped fibers with $1$ nucleus per cell under involuntary control, found in walls of blood vessels, viscera, and intrinsic eye muscles.

Intercalated Disks

Structures containing gap junctions that hold adjacent cardiac muscle cells together and allow for coordinated contraction.

Striations

Alternating light (I-bands) and dark (A-bands) stripes across skeletal and cardiac muscle fibers.

Arrector Pili Muscle

A smooth muscle attached to the base of each hair follicle that contracts to erect the hair, causing goosebumps.

Hair Root Plexus

A network of nerve endings surrounding a hair root that detects movement of the hair.

Epidermis

The superficial layer of the skin composed of epithelial tissue.

Dermis

The layer of skin directly deep to the epidermis containing blood vessels, nerves, hair follicles, and glands.

Hypodermis

The subcutaneous layer deep to the dermis that contains adipocytes and blood vessels.

Human Skin Layers Diagram

Diagram showing the principal layers of human skin (Epidermis, Dermis, Hypodermis, Muscle) and associated structures.

No Lumen Histology Decision Tree

A diagnostic flowchart used to distinguish between muscle tissue types (Cardiac, Skeletal, Smooth) and nervous tissue cells (Neurons, Neuroglia) based on cellular features.