Anatomical Language and Osmosis Flashcards

Flashcards covering anatomical directional terms, regional terms, medical prefixes/suffixes, diffusion, osmosis, and nephron water reabsorption functions.

Directional Terminology

The system of terms used to describe the relative positions of body structures.

Anatomical Regions

Specific body regions designated by anatomical language in both anterior and posterior views.

Superior vs. Inferior

Superior describes a position above or closer to the head, whereas inferior describes a position below or closer to the feet.

Anterior (Ventral) vs. Posterior (Dorsal)

Anterior (ventral) refers to the front of the body, while posterior (dorsal) refers to the back of the body.

Medial vs. Lateral

Medial indicates a position toward the midline of the body, whereas lateral indicates a position away from the midline.

Proximal vs. Distal

Proximal refers to being closer to the point of attachment or trunk of the body, while distal refers to being farther away from the point of attachment.

hypo-

A medical terminology prefix meaning low, below normal, under, or beneath.

natrium

A medical root word referring to sodium ($Na^+$).

-emia

A medical terminology suffix denoting a blood condition.

Hyponatremia

A medical condition characterized by low sodium levels in the blood.

Diffusion

The passive movement of molecules from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration, requiring no energy.

Diffusion vs Osmosis

Diffusion involves solute molecules moving from high to low solute concentration, while osmosis involves solvent molecules moving across a semi-permeable membrane from low to high solute concentration.

Solution

A mixture of two or more substances, such as a combination of water and sugar.

Solute

The substance that gets dissolved into another substance within a solution.

Solvent

The substance in a solution that does the dissolving.

Osmosis

The diffusion of solvent molecules across a semi-permeable membrane to equalize concentrations on both sides.

Nephron Water Reabsorption

The dual-mechanism renal process involving obligatory water reabsorption in the proximal convoluted tubule/nephron loop and facultative water reabsorption in the distal convoluted tubule/collecting duct.

Obligatory Water Reabsorption

Water reabsorption occurring in the proximal convoluted tubule and nephron loop that happens automatically regardless of hydration status.

Facultative Water Reabsorption

Water reabsorption occurring in the distal convoluted tubule and collecting duct that is regulated based on body requirements.

Descending Limb of Nephron Loop

The part of the nephron loop permeable to water but not to salts, allowing water reabsorption and resulting in a more concentrated filtrate.