Human Body Organisation

Vocabulary flashcards covering the structural organization of the human body, survival needs, chemical composition, and core life functions.

Anatomy

The study of body structure.

Physiology

The study of body function.

Cytology

A branch of microscopic anatomy defined as the study of cells.

Histology

Microscopic anatomy defined as the study of tissues.

Gross anatomy

The study of the larger structures of the body, those visible without the aid of magnification.

Major Human Body Elements

The four elements making up $96\%$ of the human body mass: Oxygen ($65\%$), Carbon ($18\%$), Hydrogen ($10\%$), and Nitrogen ($3\%$).

Atom

The smallest part of a substance that cannot be broken down chemically.

Molecule

The chemical combination of two or more atoms.

Cell

The basic structural, functional, and biological unit of all known living organisms, originating from a word meaning 'a small room'.

Tissue level

The level of structural organization where a community of similar types of cells form a body tissue.

Organ level

The level of structural organization where two or more different types of tissues combine to form an organ.

Organ system level

The structural level consisting of two or more different organs that work closely together to perform the functions of a body system.

Organismal level

The highest level of structural organization where many organ systems work harmoniously together to perform the functions of an independent organism.

Movement

A life function that includes actions at the joints of the body, motion of individual organs, and motion of individual cells.

Responsiveness

The ability of an organism to adjust to changes in its internal and external environments.

Metabolism

The sum of all chemical processes in the body, defined as Anabolism + Catabolism.

Anabolism

A metabolic reaction involving the building up of body tissues and energy stores.

Catabolism

A metabolic reaction involving the breaking down of large molecules to produce energy necessary for various body functions.