An Introduction to the Human Body - Chapter 1 Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards for Chapter 1 of 'An Introduction to the Human Body'.

Anatomy

The study of body structures and the relationships among them.

Physiology

The study of the body’s functions, including the study of the body’s chemical and cellular processes.

Systemic Anatomy

Examines the human body primarily by looking at individual organ systems.

Regional Anatomy

Divides the body into regions of study such as the head and neck.

Surface Anatomy

Studies the surface markings of the body.

Gross Anatomy

Examines structures that can be seen with the unaided eye.

Microscopic Anatomy

Studies structures that can only be seen with the aid of a microscope; includes histology and cytology.

Histology

The study of tissues.

Cytology

The study of cells.

Neurophysiology

Studies the brain and nerves.

Cardiovascular Physiology

Studies the heart and blood vessels.

Embryology

The first eight weeks of development after fertilization of a human egg.

Developmental Biology

The complete development of an individual from fertilization to death.

Cell Biology

Cellular structure and functions.

Imaging Anatomy

Body structures that can be visualized with techniques such as x-rays, MRI, and CT scans.

Pathological Anatomy

Structural changes (gross to microscopic) associated with disease.

Endocrinology

Hormones and how they control body functions.

Immunology

The body's defenses against disease-causing agents.

Respiratory Physiology

Functions of the air passageways and lungs.

Renal Physiology

Functions of the kidneys.

Exercise Physiology

Changes in cell and organ functions due to muscular activity.

Pathophysiology

Functional changes associated with disease and aging.

Integumentary System

The system that protects the body; helps regulate body temperature; eliminates some wastes; helps make vitamin D; detects sensations; stores fat and provides insulation. Includes skin, hair, fingernails and toenails, sweat glands, and oil glands.

Skeletal System

The system that supports and protects the body; provides surface area for muscle attachments; aids body movements; houses cells that produce blood cells; stores minerals and lipids (fats). Includes bones, joints, and their associated cartilages.

Muscular System

The system that participates in body movements, such as walking; maintains posture; produces heat. Includes skeletal muscle tissue.

Nervous System

The system that generates action potentials (nerve impulses) to regulate body activities; detects changes in body's internal and external environments, interprets changes, and responds by causing muscular contractions or glandular secretions. Includes the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and special sense organs.

Endocrine System

The system that regulates body activities by releasing hormones. Includes hormone-producing glands (pineal gland, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, thymus, thyroid gland, parathyroid glands, adrenal glands, pancreas, ovaries, and testes) and hormone-producing cells in several other organs.

Cardiovascular System

The system where the heart pumps blood through blood vessels; blood carries oxygen and nutrients to cells and carbon dioxide and wastes away from cells and helps regulate acid-base balance, temperature, and water content of body fluids; blood components help defend against disease and repair damaged blood vessels. Includes blood, heart, and blood vessels.

Lymphatic System

The system that returns proteins and fluid to blood; carries lipids from gastrointestinal tract to blood; contains sites of maturation and proliferation of B cells and T cells that protect against disease-causing microbes. Includes lymphatic fluid and vessels; spleen, thymus, lymph nodes, and tonsils; cells that carry out immune responses (B cells, T cells, and others).

Respiratory System

The system that transfers oxygen from inhaled air to blood and carbon dioxide from blood to exhaled air; helps regulate acid-base balance of body fluids; air flowing out of lungs through vocal cords produces sounds. Includes lungs and air passageways such as the pharynx, larynx, trachea, and bronchial tubes.

Digestive System

The system that achieves physical and chemical breakdown of food; absorbs nutrients; eliminates solid wastes. Includes organs of gastrointestinal tract and accessory organs (salivary glands, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas).

Urinary System

The system that produces, stores, and eliminates urine; eliminates wastes and regulates volume and chemical composition of blood; helps maintain the acid-base balance of body fluids; maintains body's mineral balance; helps regulate production of red blood cells. Includes kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra.

Reproductive System

The system where gonads produce gametes (sperm or oocytes) that unite to form a new organism; gonads also release hormones that regulate reproduction and other body processes; associated organs transport and store gametes; mammary glands produce milk. Includes gonads (testes in males and ovaries in females) and associated organs.

Metabolism

The sum of all chemical processes that occur in the body, including catabolism and anabolism.

Responsiveness

The ability to detect and respond to changes in the external or internal environment.

Differentiation

The change in a cell from an unspecialized state to a specialized state.

Homeostasis

A condition of equilibrium, or balance, in the body’s internal environment.

Intracellular Fluid (ICF)

Fluid inside body cells.

Extracellular Fluid (ECF)

Fluid outside body cells.

Interstitial Fluid

ECF filling the spaces between cells of tissues.

Plasma

ECF in blood vessels.

Receptor

Monitors changes (stimuli) in a controlled condition.

Control Center

Determines next action.

Effector

Receives directions from the control center and produces a response that changes the controlled condition.

Negative Feedback

A system that reverses a change in a controlled condition.

Positive Feedback

A system that reinforces a change in a controlled condition.

Anatomical Position

A standardized method of observing or imaging the body that allows precise and consistent anatomical references.

Prone Position

Body is lying face down.

Supine Position

Body is lying face up.

Superior

Towards the head, or upper part of a structure.

Inferior

Away from the head, or lower part of a structure.

Anterior (Ventral)

Nearer to or at the front of the body.

Posterior (Dorsal)

Nearer to or at the back of the body.

Medial

Nearer to the midline of the body.

Lateral

Farther from the midline of the body.

Proximal

Nearer to the attachment of a limb to the trunk.

Distal

Farther from the attachment of a limb to the trunk.

Superficial

Toward or on the surface of the body.

Deep

Away from the surface of the body.

Sagittal Plane

Divides the body or an organ into left and right sides.

Midsagittal Plane

Produces equal halves.

Parasagittal Plane

Produces unequal halves.

Frontal (Coronal) Plane

Divides the body or an organ into front (anterior) and back (posterior) portions.

Transverse (Cross-Sectional) Plane

Divides the body or an organ into upper (superior) or lower (inferior) portions.

Oblique Plane

Passes through the body or an organ at an angle.

Cranial Cavity

Formed by cranial bones and contains the brain.

Vertebral Canal

Formed by vertebral column and contains spinal cord.

Thoracic Cavity

Chest cavity; contains pleural and pericardial cavities and the mediastinum.

Abdominopelvic Cavity

Subdivided into abdominal and pelvic cavities.

Parietal Layer

Lines the walls of the cavities.

Visceral Layer

Covers and adheres to the viscera within the cavities.

Pleural Membrane

Surrounds the lung.

Pericardium

The serous membrane of the pericardial cavity.

Peritoneum

The serous membrane that covers many of the abdominal organs.