Anatomical Terminology and Chemical Level of Organization Flashcards

A complete collection of vocabulary flashcards covering anatomical terminology, body directions, chemical bonds, organic macromolecules, and cellular energetics.

Anatomical Position

Standard reference position in which the subject stands straight up, feet flat on the floor and directed forward, with arms at their sides and palms facing forward.

Anterior (Ventral)

Body position term meaning toward the front of the body.

Posterior (Dorsal)

Body position term meaning toward the back of the body.

Supine

Position term describing a person lying on their back, face upward.

Prone

Position term describing a person lying on their stomach, face downward.

Superior

Directional term meaning above, top, or located toward the head.

Inferior

Directional term meaning below, bottom, or located away from the head.

Medial

Directional term referring to an imaginary midline that divides the body into left and right halves, or being closer to that midline.

Lateral

Directional term meaning toward the side or away from the midline of the body.

Proximal

Directional term meaning closer to the point of attachment to the trunk or body.

Distal

Directional term meaning farther from the point of attachment to the trunk or body.

Superficial

Directional term meaning closer to the surface or more external than another body part.

Deep

Directional term meaning further from the surface or more internal than another body part.

Ipsilateral

Directional term referring to structures located on the same side of the body.

Contralateral

Directional term referring to structures located on the opposite side of the body.

Bilateral

Directional term referring to paired structures, with one on each side of the body.

Visceral

Descriptive anatomical term pertaining to a membrane covering over an organ.

Parietal

Descriptive anatomical term pertaining to a membrane covering against a cavity wall.

Element

A substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by normal chemical reactions.

Atom

The smallest building block of all matter and of the body.

Molecule

A combination of two or more atoms joined together by chemical bonds.

Ion

An atom or group of atoms in which the total number of electrons is not equal to the total number of protons, resulting in a net positive or negative electrical charge.

Cation

An ion that carries a net positive electrical charge, such as $\text{Na}^+$.

Anion

An ion that carries a net negative electrical charge, such as $\text{Cl}^-$.

Salts

Electrically neutral compounds composed of cations and anions that dissociate into their respective ions in water.

Electrolytes

Substances that ionize in water to form solutions capable of conducting electricity.

Electronegativity

The tendency of an atom in a molecule to attract electrons toward itself.

Ionic Bond

A relatively weak attraction between an anion and a cation that is easily disrupted in water.

Covalent Bond

A chemical bond formed by the sharing of one or more pairs of valence electrons between atomic nuclei.

Nonpolar Covalent Bond

A covalent bond in which electrons are equally attracted to both nuclei; considered the strongest type of chemical bond.

Polar Covalent Bond

A covalent bond in which electrons are more strongly attracted to one nucleus than to the other, creating slightly positive and negative regions.

Hydrogen Bond

A weak attraction involving the sharing of the positive charge of a hydrogen atom between two electronegative centers, such as oxygen and nitrogen.

Van der Waals Force

A weak, brief attraction between neutral atoms caused by random disturbances in electron clouds; individually the weakest of all bonds.

Mixture

A combination of substances that are physically blended together without being chemically combined.

Solvency

The ability of water to dissolve a wide variety of substances, acting as the universal solvent for metabolic reactions.

Adhesion

The property of water that causes one substance to cling to a different substance.

Cohesion

The property of water that causes molecules of the same substance to cling to one another.

Monomer

An identical or similar subunit that serves as the building block for larger molecules in the dimer to polymer range.

Polymer

A large molecule consisting of a repetitive series of identical or similar monomer subunits.

Monosaccharide

A simple sugar monomer with the general chemical formula $\text{(CH}_2\text{O)}_n$, such as glucose.

Disaccharide

A carbohydrate composed of two monosaccharides joined together through dehydration synthesis.

Polysaccharide

A complex carbohydrate polymer composed of many monosaccharide monomers joined together.

Glycogen

An energy storage polysaccharide in animal cells, produced by cells of the liver, muscle, brain, uterus, and vagina.

Cellulose

A structural polysaccharide of plants that forms dietary fiber and is the most abundant organic compound on Earth.

Lipid

A hydrophobic organic molecule composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that contains more calories per gram than carbohydrates.

Fatty Acid

A chain of 4 to 24 carbon atoms with a carboxyl group at one end and a methyl group at the other.

Triglyceride

A neutral fat formed by linking a three-carbon alcohol (glycerol) to three fatty acid chains through dehydration synthesis.

Phospholipid

An amphipathic lipid consisting of a glycerol portion with two hydrophobic fatty acid tails and one hydrophilic phosphate head.

Eicosanoids

20-carbon lipid signaling molecules derived from arachidonic acid, including prostaglandins, that mediate cell-to-cell signaling in processes such as inflammation.

Steroid

A lipid molecule containing 17 carbon atoms arranged in four rings, with cholesterol serving as the parent compound.

Amino Acid

A monomer of protein consisting of a central carbon atom bound to an amino group ($\text{—NH}_2$), a carboxyl group ($\text{—COOH}$), a hydrogen atom, and a variable R group.

Denaturation

A conformational change in a protein caused by extreme conditions such as temperature or pH, destroying its functional properties.

Enzyme

A macromolecule that acts as a biological catalyst to accelerate biochemical reactions at normal body temperature.

Nucleotide

An organic molecule consisting of a nitrogenous base, a pentose monosaccharide sugar, and one or more phosphate groups.

Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)

The most important energy-transfer molecule in the cell, composed of adenine, ribose, and three phosphate groups.

Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)

A double-stranded nucleic acid coiled into a double helix that resides in the nucleus and serves as genetic material.

Ribonucleic Acid (RNA)

A single-stranded nucleic acid located in the cytoplasm that synthesizes proteins based on genetic instructions.