AnaPhy Lecture Notes: Human Organism, Cells, Tissues, and Skeletal System

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers essential terminology from Human Anatomy and Physiology, including levels of organization, cellular transport mechanisms, tissue types, and the structures/functions of the skeletal system.

Anatomy

The investigation of body structure; the term literally means to dissect.

Physiology

The investigation of body processes and functions.

Systemic Anatomy

A type of anatomy that studies body organ-systems.

Regional Anatomy

A type of anatomy that studies body regions; commonly used in medical schools.

Surface Anatomy

The study of external features, such as bone projections.

Anatomical Imaging

The use of technologies such as x-rays, ultrasound, and MRI to study the body.

Tissues

A group of cells with similar structure and function, plus the extracellular substances they release.

Metabolism

The sum of all chemical and physical changes sustaining an organism, including the ability to acquire and use energy.

Homeostasis

The maintenance of a constant internal environment despite fluctuations in the external or internal environment.

Negative Feedback

The main mechanism of homeostatic regulation involving the detection of deviation from a set point and correction toward that set point.

Positive Feedback

A mechanism that occurs when the initial stimulus further stimulates a response, causing progressive deviation away from the set point.

Anatomical Position

A person standing erect with face and palms forward; the baseline for all relational descriptions.

Sagittal Plane

A plane that separates the body into right and left parts.

Transverse Plane

A horizontal plane that separates the body into superior and inferior parts.

Frontal Plane

A vertical plane that separates the body into anterior and posterior parts.

Mediastinum

The space between the lungs containing the heart, thymus gland, esophagus, and trachea.

Serous Membrane

Membranes that line trunk cavities and cover organs, consisting of visceral and parietal layers with a fluid-filled cavity between them.

Selective Permeability

The property of a cell membrane that allows only specific substances to enter or exit, maintaining distinct concentration gradients like high $K^+$ inside and high $Na^+$ outside.

Passive Transport

The movement of substances down a concentration gradient without the expenditure of cellular energy ($ATP$).

Diffusion

The movement of solutes from an area of higher concentration to lower concentration.

Osmosis

The diffusion of water across a selectively permeable membrane influenced by osmotic pressure.

Primary Active Transport

A mechanism that uses $ATP$ directly to move substances against a gradient, such as the Sodium-Potassium Pump.

Transcription

The process of copying DNA into messenger RNA ($mRNA$) within the cell nucleus.

Translation

The process of using $mRNA$ to produce a protein in the cytoplasm by reading codons with transfer RNA ($tRNA$) anticodons.

Mitosis

The cell-dividing phase resulting in two daughter cells, consisting of prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase.

Apoptosis

Programmed cell death used to control cell numbers and remove excess tissue.

Histology

The study of tissues and their microscopic anatomy.

Hydroxyapatite

Calcium phosphate crystals that form the primary mineral component of bone matrix.

Osteon

The structural unit of compact bone, including lamella, lacunae, canaliculus, central canal, and osteocytes.

Trabeculae

The interconnecting rods in spongy (cancellous) bone tissue.

Osteoblasts

Cells responsible for the formation, repair, and remodeling of bone.

Osteoclasts

Cells that contribute to bone repair and remodeling by removing existing bone, a process called bone reabsorption.

Intramembranous Ossification

Bone formation that occurs within connective tissue membranes.

Endochondral Ossification

Bone formation that occurs inside hyaline cartilage.

Foramen

A hole in a bone, such as the Foramen Magnum in the occipital bone.

Axial Skeleton

The part of the skeleton composed of the skull, the vertebral column, and the thoracic cage.

Appendicular Skeleton

The part of the skeleton including the upper and lower limbs and their respective girdles.

Synovial Joint

A structural classification for a freely movable joint.

Diarthrosis

The functional classification for a freely movable joint.

Abduction

Movement of a body part away from the midline.

Adduction

Movement of a body part toward the midline.