Anatomy and Physiology: Human Structure and Function

A complete set of vocabulary flashcards covering human structural organization, anatomical variation, characteristics of life, physiological variation, and homeostatic feedback mechanisms based on the lecture transcript.

Organ

A structure composed of two or more tissue types that work together to carry out a function, possessing defined anatomical boundaries and potentially containing organs within organs.

Tissue

Similar cells and cell products forming a discrete region of an organ that performs a specific function.

Cell

The smallest unit to carry out all basic functions of life.

Organelle

A structure within a cell that carries out a specific function.

Molecule

A particle composed of two or more atoms.

Macromolecules

The largest molecules, which include proteins, fats, and DNA.

Atom

The smallest particle with a unique chemical identity.

Reductionism

The theory that large, complex systems can be understood by studying their simpler components.

Holism

The concept that emergent properties occur as levels of organization are ascended, which cannot be predicted from the properties of individual parts alone.

Anatomical Variation

Structural differences between individuals, meaning no two humans are exactly alike in their internal or external anatomy.

Situs Inversus

A condition in some individuals characterized by a left-right reversal of organ placement.

Cellular Composition

A characteristic of life in which living matter is always compartmentalized into one or more cells.

Metabolism

The sum of all internal chemical change in an organism.

Responsiveness

Also known as excitability; the ability of an organism to sense and react to changes in its environment (stimuli).

Movement

The motion of an entire organism or the movement of substances within the organism.

Development

Any change in form or function over time during an organism's life.

Differentiation

The transformation of unspecialized cells into cells with a committed task.

Growth

An increase in size that occurs through chemical change.

Reproduction

The process by which organisms produce copies of themselves and pass genes to offspring.

Evolution

Genetic change from generation to generation in a population as a whole due to mutations (changes in DNA structure).

Physiological Variation

Differences in body function among individuals based on sex, age, diet, weight, physical activity, genetics, and environment.

Reference Man

A standard physiological reference defined as a $22$-year-old male weighing $154\text{ lb}$, engaging in light physical activity, and consuming $2{,}800\text{ kcal/day}$.

Reference Woman

A standard physiological reference defined as a $22$-year-old female weighing $128\text{ lb}$, engaging in light physical activity, and consuming $2{,}000\text{ kcal/day}$.

Homeostasis

The ability to detect change, activate mechanisms that oppose it, and thereby maintain relatively stable internal conditions despite changing external conditions.

Claude Bernard

Physiologist ($1813$ to $1878$) who noted fairly constant internal conditions in living organisms.

Walter Cannon

Physiologist ($1871$ to $1945$) who coined the term homeostasis.

Dynamic Equilibrium

The state of homeostasis where internal conditions fluctuate within a limited range around a set point.

Negative Feedback

A primary homeostatic mechanism that keeps a variable close to its set point by sensing a change and reversing it.

Feedback Loops

Feedback mechanisms named because they alter the original changes that triggered them.