A&P Paramedic High-Yield Review

Flashcards testing core medical concepts, anatomical structures, and physiological mechanisms from the paramedic study guide.

Tunica Intima

The innermost layer of a blood vessel, featuring a smooth endothelial lining.

Tunica Media

The middle layer of a blood vessel composed of smooth muscle and elastic tissue that controls vessel diameter through vasoconstriction and vasodilation.

Tunica Externa

The outer connective tissue layer of a blood vessel (adventitia) that provides protection and support.

Phrenic Nerve

The primary nerve controlling the diaphragm, originating from cervical spinal cord roots C3, C4, and C5.

Systole

The cardiac phase in which the ventricles contract and squeeze blood out into the pulmonary artery and aorta.

Diastole

The cardiac phase in which the ventricles relax and fill with blood.

Cerebrum

The brain structure responsible for conscious thought, reasoning, memory, sensation, speech, and voluntary movement.

Cerebellum

The brain structure responsible for balance, coordination, posture, and fine motor movement.

Hypothalamus

The brain structure responsible for homeostasis and serving as the body's thermostat, controlling temperature, hunger, thirst, hormones, and autonomic functions.

Reticular Activating System (RAS)

The brain network controlling arousal, wakefulness, consciousness, and attention.

S1 Heart Sound

The 'Lub' sound caused by the closure of the mitral and tricuspid (AV) valves at the beginning of ventricular systole.

S2 Heart Sound

The 'Dub' sound caused by the closure of the aortic and pulmonic (semilunar) valves at the end of systole.

Sympathetic Nervous System

The branch of the autonomic nervous system driving 'fight or flight' responses, increasing heart rate, contractility, BP, pupil size, and bronchodilation.

Nitroglycerin

A medication that causes vasodilation (especially venodilation), which decreases venous return, preload, and cardiac workload.

Moro Reflex

A primitive infant startle reflex triggered by sudden noise or movement, causing the infant to extend arms, open hands, and bring arms inward.

Carina

The location where the trachea divides into the right and left mainstem bronchi.

Activated Charcoal

An adsorbent agent that binds to certain ingested toxins in the GI tract to decrease their absorption into the body.

Distributive Shock

Shock characterized by a loss of vascular tone where vasodilation creates a container too large for the circulating blood volume.

Psychogenic Shock

Shock or syncope triggered by excessive vagal stimulation, resulting in bradycardia, vasodilation, hypotension, and fainting.

Epinephrine

A sympathomimetic catecholamine acting on \text{\alpha}_1 (vasoconstriction), \text{\beta}_1 (increased heart rate/contractility), and \text{\beta}_2 (bronchodilation) receptors.

Epidermis

The superficial outer protective layer of the skin.

Dermis

The middle layer of the skin containing blood vessels, nerves, sweat glands, and hair follicles.

Subcutaneous Tissue

The deep layer of tissue beneath the dermis containing fat, connective tissue, and larger nerves and vessels.

Antihistamines

Medications that block histamine receptors to reduce symptoms such as itching and hives, but do not replace epinephrine in anaphylaxis.

Solid Abdominal Organs

Organs with substantial vascular tissue (liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys) whose primary trauma risk is severe bleeding.

Hollow Abdominal Organs

Organs containing spaces (stomach, small/large intestines, gallbladder, urinary bladder) whose primary trauma risk is rupture and contents spillage.

Inflammatory Response

A protective biological sequence involving mediator release, vasodilation (causing redness and heat), and increased capillary permeability (causing swelling).

Aerobic Metabolism

Cellular respiration requiring oxygen that produces carbon dioxide, water, and large quantities of ATP.

Anaerobic Metabolism

Cellular respiration occurring without adequate oxygen that produces minimal ATP and leads to lactate accumulation.

Antigen

A foreign substance or marker (such as bacteria, virus, or toxin) that triggers an immune response when recognized by the body.

Hypertrophy

An increase in the size of existing individual cells.

Hyperplasia

An increase in the total number of cells within a tissue or organ.

Aspirin

An antiplatelet drug that inhibits cyclooxygenase (COX), decreasing thromboxane $A_2$ and reducing platelet aggregation.

Pulmonary Edema

The presence of fluid in the alveoli and lung tissue, described as fluid where air should be.

Acute Arterial Occlusion

A sudden blockage of arterial blood supply, commonly caused by an embolus originating from atrial fibrillation.

Diffusion

The passive movement of a solute from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration down its concentration gradient.

Retroperitoneal Organs

Organs located behind the peritoneum, notably including the kidneys, adrenal glands, pancreas, and ureters.

Four Basic Tissue Types

The main categories of tissue in the body: epithelial, connective, muscle, and nervous.

Preload

The amount of ventricular stretch at the end of diastole prior to contraction, which decreases during hypovolemia.