Anatomy and Physiology Flashcards

Flashcards about Anatomy and Physiology, covering body cavities, serous membranes, human organs, microscopy, cell theory, cell diversity, and gene expression.

Dorsal Body Cavity

Includes the cranial cavity (containing the brain) and the vertebral cavity (containing the spinal cord).

Ventral Body Cavity

Includes the thoracic cavity (containing heart and lungs) and the abdominopelvic cavity (containing digestive, urinary, and reproductive organs).

Thoracic Cavity

Contains the pleural cavity (lungs) and the pericardial cavity (heart) and the mediastinum (esophagus, trachea, etc.).

Abdominopelvic Cavity

Contains the abdominal cavity (digestive viscera) and the pelvic cavity (urinary bladder, reproductive organs, and rectum).

Serous Membranes

Thin, double-layered membranes that produce lubricating fluid to reduce friction between organs and body walls.

Parietal Pleura

The membrane that lines the thoracic cavity.

Visceral Pleura

The membrane that covers the lungs.

Parietal Pericardium

Forms the tough, outer sac around the heart (pericardial sac).

Visceral Pericardium

Fused directly to the surface of the heart (epicardium).

Mesentery

Folds of peritoneum; holds organs in place, contains fat for stored energy, and provides a pathway for blood vessels, nerves, and lymph vessels.

Mesocolon

A dorsal mesentery that anchors the large intestine to the parietal peritoneum of the dorsal body wall.

Greater Omentum

A large mesentery attached to the greater curvature of the stomach, covering the small intestine and helping to anchor the intestines and spleen.

Peritoneum

Serous membrane encasing the abdominal and pelvic organs.

Retroperitoneal

Located outside the peritoneum.

Field of View

The diameter of the circle of light visible when looking into a microscope.

Cell Theory

The cell is the basic unit of structure and organization in organisms; all living things are composed of cells; cells arise from pre-existing cells.

Ribosome

Site of protein synthesis.

Plasma Membrane

Regulates transport in and out of the cell.

Golgi Apparatus

Packages cell secretions.

Centriole and Centrosome

Involved in cell division.

Nucleus

Control center of the cell; contains DNA.

Mitochondrion

Produces energy for the cell.

Lysosome

Contains digestive enzymes.

Gene Expression

The process by which a gene gets turned on in a cell to make RNA and proteins.

Central Dogma of Biology

The process of DNA replication, RNA transcription, and protein translation.

Transcription

DNA information coded in mRNA.

Translation

mRNA decoded to assemble polypeptides.

Codon

A complementary three-base sequence on mRNA that represents a three-base sequence on DNA (triplet).

Transcription factors

Gene activators that loosen histones from DNA and bind to promoter regions to initiate gene transcription.

RNA Polymerase

The enzyme that synthesizes mRNA during transcription.