Anatomy and Physiology Practice Flashcards

Practice vocabulary flashcards developed from lecture notes covering musculoskeletal anatomy, basic physiology, blood composition, and the nervous system.

Anatomy

The study of structure.

Physiology

The study of function.

Torque

The turning effect of a force, calculated as $Torque = F \times \text{perpendicular distance}$.

Tendon

A structure that connects muscle to bone.

Ligaments

Structures that attach bone to bone, guide movements, and act like ropes to prevent bones from moving into extreme conditions.

Articular cartilage

A material whose primary function is to provide slipperiness to reduce friction in the joints.

Axial skeleton

The midline of the skeleton consisting of the skull, vertebrae, and associated structures.

Appendicular skeleton

The appendages or limbs, including the shoulder girdle, upper limbs, and lower limbs.

Sagittal plane

A plane associated with the mediolateral axis where almost all flexion-extensions occur.

Frontal (coronal) plane

A plane associated with the anteroposterior axis where almost all abduction-adductions occur.

Transverse (horizontal) plane

A plane associated with the vertical (longitudinal) axis where almost all rotations occur.

Scapulohumeral Rhythm

The coordination where the shoulder girdle (clavicle and scapula) moves together with the shoulder joint (humerus) to place the elbow in 3D space.

Capsular ligaments

Thickenings of a synovial joint capsule.

Intracapsular ligaments

Ligaments located entirely within a joint capsule.

Extracapsular ligaments

Ligaments that are completely external to any joint capsule.

Glenoid Labrum

A structure on the outside of the glenoid cavity that deepens the cavity and helps increase the stability of the shoulder joint.

Olecranon process

The round bit of bone at the back of the elbow on the ulnar which serves as the attachment and insertion point for the triceps brachii.

Fossa

A hollowed-out area of bone that allows bone movement, such as the radial fossa or coronoid fossa.

Annular ligament

The ligament that holds the radial head tight against the ulna.

Extrinsic muscles of the hand

Muscles whose belly is located in the forearm but whose tendon runs into the hand.

Intrinsic muscles of the hand

Muscles located entirely within the hand, containing both their origin and insertion.

Flexor retinaculum (FR)

A structure that covers the front of the wrist and forms a roof over the carpal tunnel to stop tendons from bowstringing.

Acetabulum

The socket in the hip bone that receives the head of the femur to form the hip joint.

Nutation

A movement within the pelvis where the sacrum rotates in an anticlockwise direction.

ATFL (Anterior Talofibular Ligament)

The most commonly torn ligament in the body, located in the ankle.

Plasma

The liquid component of blood ($55\%$) containing water, proteins, electrolytes, gases, and nutrients.

Erythrocytes

Red blood cells that make up $45\%$ of blood volume and predominantly function in gas transport through haemoglobin.

Albumin

A plasma protein ($60\%$) that prevents blood vessel leakiness.

Neutrophils

Phagocytic white blood cells ($60-70\%$) characterized by a multi-lobulated nucleus connected by thin strands of chromatin.

Basophils

Rare white blood cells ($0.5-1\%$) with large purplish-black granules containing histamine to attract other WBCs to inflamed sites.

Thrombocytes

Platelets, which are fragments of megakaryocytes involved in blood clotting and lasting $8-9$ days in circulation.

Arteries

High-pressure vessels that carry blood away from the heart.

Veins

Low-pressure vessels that carry blood toward the heart.

Tunica intima

The innermost layer of a blood vessel, consisting of endothelium that lines the lumen.

Choroid plexus

A structure within the brain's ventricles that produces cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and forms the blood-CSF barrier.

Corpus callosum

A deep structure of white matter comprised of myelinated axons that joins the left and right cerebral hemispheres.

Boyle's law

The principle that a change in the volume of a gas will have an effect on its pressure, expressed as $P_1V_1 = P_2V_2$.

Celiac trunk

The arterial structure that supplies blood to the foregut.

Axon hillock

The part of a neuron where the electrical charge is added or subtracted to determine if the nerve fires an action potential.

Plexi

Anatomical interweavings or braidings of spinal nerves, such as the Cervical, Brachial, Lumbar, and Sacral plexi.

CN 1 Optic Nerve

In the provided notes, this is identified as a sensory nerve for the nasal cavity and the sense of smell.

Mastication

The process of chewing, involving muscles such as the temporalis and masseter.