Ch. 1: Orientation to the Human Body

What is Anatomy?

Study of structure (shape of the body and its parts)

What is Physiology?

Study of function (how the body and its parts work or function)

How are Anatomy and Physiology related?

Structure determines function

What is Pathology?

Study of structural changes that lead to disease

What are the levels of study in Anatomy?

Macroscopic (Gross) Anatomy, Microscopic Anatomy, Developmental Anatomy

What is Macroscopic (Gross) Anatomy?

Study of large structures that are easily visible to the naked eye

What are the subdivisions of Macroscopic (Gross) Anatomy?

Regional, Systemic, and Surface Anatomy

What is Microscopic Anatomy?

Study of very small structures that can only be viewed with a microscope

What are the subdivisions of Microscopic Anatomy?

Cytology (study of cells) and Histology (study of tissues)

What is Developmental Anatomy?

Study of structural changes that occur in the body throughout the lifespan

What is a subdivision of Developmental Anatomy?

Embryology

What are some subdivisions of Physiology?

Renal physiology, neurophysiology, cardiovascular physiology, etc.

What are the levels of structural organization?

Chemicals → Organelles → Cells → Tissues → Organs → Organ Systems → Organism

What happens at the Chemical Level?

Atoms and molecules form the basis of life

What happens at the Cellular Level?

Cells are formed from organelles

What happens at the Tissue Level?

Tissues are formed from similar cells

What happens at the Organ Level?

Organs are formed from different tissues

What happens at the Organ System Level?

11 organ systems work together

What happens at the Organism Level?

Complete human body functions as a unit

What are the necessary life functions?

Maintaining boundaries, movement, responsiveness, digestion, metabolism, excretion, reproduction, and growth

What does maintaining boundaries mean?

Keeping the internal environment separate from the external environment

What does movement include?

Locomotion and transport of substances throughout the body

What is responsiveness?

Ability to sense changes (stimuli) and respond to them

What is digestion?

Breakdown and absorption of nutrients

What is metabolism?

All chemical reactions within the body

What are the two types of metabolism?

Catabolism (breaking things down) and Anabolism (building things up)

Why is ATP important?

It provides energy for body functions

What is excretion?

Elimination of wastes from metabolic reactions

What is reproduction?

Production of offspring

What is growth?

Increase in cell size and number

What are the survival needs?

Nutrients, oxygen, water, normal body temperature, and appropriate atmospheric pressure

Why are nutrients important?

They provide chemicals for energy and cell building

What are the major types of nutrients?

Carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, vitamins, and minerals

Why is oxygen important?

Required for chemical reactions

Why is water important?

Makes up 60-80% of body weight and is involved in metabolic reactions

Why is normal body temperature important?

Necessary for proper metabolic function

Why is appropriate atmospheric pressure important?

Needed for proper breathing and gas exchange

What is homeostasis?

Maintaining a stable internal environment within narrow limits, regardless of environmental changes

Why is homeostasis important?

It must be maintained for normal body functioning and survival

How does the body maintain homeostasis?

Through neuronal & hormonal control systems

What are the three components of homeostatic control?

Receptor, Control Center, Effector

What does the receptor do?

Responds to changes (stimuli) and sends information to the control center

What does the control center do?

Determines the set point, analyzes information, and determines the response

What does the effector do?

Executes the response (only in muscles or glands)

What are feedback mechanisms?

Systems that regulate homeostasis

What is negative feedback?

A mechanism that shuts off the original stimulus or reduces its intensity, moving the variable back to its set point

What are examples of negative feedback?

Heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, blood glucose levels, etc.

How does negative feedback work?

Moves the variable back toward the set point, like a thermostat

What is positive feedback?

A mechanism that amplifies the original stimulus, pushing the variable further from the set point

What are normal examples of positive feedback?

Blood clotting, childbirth, and sexual response

Why is positive feedback often harmful?

It can lead to excessive responses, such as in heart attacks

What is homeostatic imbalance?

A disturbance in homeostasis that results in disease

What are causes of homeostatic imbalance?

Infection, injury, or genetic abnormality

Why is the language of anatomy important?

To prevent misunderstanding and provide exact terms for position, direction, regions, and structures

What are anatomical directional terms used for?

To describe locations and relationships of body parts

What is the proper anatomical position?

Standing upright, facing forward, arms at sides with palms facing forward

What do superior and inferior mean?

Above; Below

What do anterior and posterior mean?

Front; Back

What do medial and lateral mean?

Toward the midline; Away from the midline

What do proximal and distal mean?

Closer to point of attachment; Further from point of attachment

What do superficial and deep mean?

Near body surface; Further from body surface

What are body planes and sections?

Ways to divide the body for study

What does the frontal plane divide?

Anterior (front) and posterior (back) sections

What does the transverse plane divide?

Superior (top) and inferior (bottom) sections

What does the sagittal plane divide?

Left and right sections

What is a midsagittal plane?

A perfect left/right division

What is an oblique plane?

A diagonal cut

What are the two major body cavities?

Dorsal cavity and Ventral cavity

What does the dorsal cavity contain?

Cranial cavity (brain) and vertebral (spinal) cavity

What does the ventral cavity contain?

Thoracic cavity, mediastinum (pericardial), and abdominopelvic cavity

What are body cavity membranes?

They line cavities and cover organs

Which membrane lines the cavity walls?

Parietal membrane

Which membrane covers the organ?

Visceral membrane

What are the thoracic cavity membranes?

Parietal pleura (lining cavity), Visceral pleura (covering organs)

What are the abdominopelvic cavity membranes?

Parietal peritoneum (lining cavity), Visceral peritoneum (covering organs)

What are the pericardial cavity membranes?

Parietal pericardium (lining cavity), Visceral pericardium (covering the heart)

What are abdominal regions and quadrants?

Ways to divide the abdomen for study and clinical use

What are the 9 abdominal regions?

(A) Right hypochondriac
(B) Epigastric
(C) Left hypochondriac
(D) Right lumbar
(E) Umbilical
(F) Left lumbar
(G) Right iliac
(H) Hypogastric
(I) Left iliac

What are the 4 abdominal quadrants?

(RUQ) Right upper quadrant

(LUQ) Left upper quadrant

(RLQ) Right lower quadrant

(LLQ) Left lower quadrant