Anatomy and Physiology Chapter 1 and 2 Master Vocabulary Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering body cavities, structural organization, organ systems, directional terms, landmarks, homeostasis, chemical bonding, reactions, macromolecules, and energy currency for Anatomy & Physiology Exam 1.

Anatomy

The study of body structures, focusing on identifying what structures are present and where they are located in the human body.

Physiology

The study of body function, focusing on how individual structures and organ systems work and operate together.

Chemical Level

The structural level of organization where non-living atoms and molecules form basic chemical units.

Cellular Level

The structural level of organization comprising cells, which are the smallest living structural and functional units in the body.

Tissue

A group of similar cells working together to perform a specialized, common function.

Organ

A structure composed of two or more distinct tissue types working together to perform complex physiological activities.

Organ System

A collection of interacting organs operating together to accomplish major bodily functions.

Organism

The complete individual living thing formed by all organ systems working synchronously.

Dorsal Cavity

The body cavity located toward the posterior/back side housing central nervous system components, subdivided into cranial and spinal cavities.

Cranial Cavity

The subdivision of the dorsal cavity that encloses and protects the brain.

Spinal Cavity

Also called the vertebral cavity; the subdivision of the dorsal cavity that encloses and protects the spinal cord.

Ventral Cavity

The body cavity located toward the anterior/front side, divided by the muscular diaphragm into thoracic and abdominopelvic compartments.

Thoracic Cavity

The superior ventral cavity located within the chest region above the diaphragm, containing pleural and pericardial cavities.

Abdominopelvic Cavity

The inferior ventral cavity located below the diaphragm, functioning as a continuous space housing abdominal and pelvic organs.

Parietal Layer

The outer, superficial layer of a serous membrane that lines the internal structural walls of a body cavity.

Visceral Layer

The inner, deep layer of a serous membrane that wraps directly around the outer surface of visceral organs.

Pericardium

The double-layered serous membrane system surrounding the heart in the pericardial cavity.

Pleura

The double-layered serous membrane system surrounding each lung within the thoracic cavity.

Peritoneum

The double-layered serous membrane system lining the abdominopelvic cavity walls and covering digestive and reproductive organs.

Retroperitoneal Space

The anatomical area located behind the parietal peritoneum and in front of the posterior muscular body wall, housing organs like the kidneys, ureters, and pancreas.

Homeostasis

The biological capacity of an organism to maintain a stable, balanced internal environment within normal target ranges despite external fluctuations.

Negative Feedback Loop

The predominant homeostatic mechanism where the physiological response counteracts or reverses the original stimulus to restore balance to a set point.

Positive Feedback Loop

A homeostatic mechanism where the response amplifies or accelerates the original stimulus, pushing a biological process to a definite terminal endpoint before resetting.

Anatomical Position

Standard body orientation standing upright, facing forward, with head, eyes, toes forward, arms at sides, and palms facing forward.

Supine

Postural orientation lying flat on the back with face and abdomen facing upward.

Prone

Postural orientation lying flat on the abdomen with face facing downward.

Antecubital

Anatomical landmark term referring to the front or anterior crease of the elbow.

Olecranal

Anatomical landmark term referring to the back or posterior point of the elbow.

Patellar

Anatomical landmark term referring to the front or anterior knee surface (kneecap).

Popliteal

Anatomical landmark term referring to the back or posterior crease of the knee.

Sagittal Plane

A sectional plane that divides the body or organ vertically into right and left portions.

Frontal Plane

Also called coronal plane; a sectional plane that divides the body into anterior (front) and posterior (back) portions.

Transverse Plane

Also called cross section; a horizontal plane that divides the body into superior (top) and inferior (bottom) portions.

Matter

Anything that takes up space and has mass.

Proton

A positively charged subatomic particle located in the atomic nucleus with a relative mass of 1 mass unit.

Neutron

A neutral subatomic particle located in the atomic nucleus with a relative mass of 1 mass unit.

Electron

A negatively charged subatomic particle located in electron shells outside the nucleus with very low mass.

Atomic Number

The number of protons in an atom's nucleus, which identifies the specific chemical element.

Valence Electrons

Electrons located in the outermost occupied electron shell that determine how an atom interacts and bonds with other atoms.

Molecule

Two or more atoms joined together by strong chemical bonds.

Compound

A substance composed of atoms of two or more different elements joined by chemical bonds.

Ionic Bond

A chemical bond formed when one or more electrons are transferred from one atom to another, resulting in electrostatic attraction between opposite charges.

Cation

A positively charged ion formed when an electron donor loses one or more electrons.

Anion

A negatively charged ion formed when an electron acceptor gains one or more electrons.

Covalent Bond

A strong chemical bond formed when atoms share pairs of electrons.

Hydrogen Bond

A weak attraction between slight positive and slight negative partial charges on adjacent polar molecules.

Catabolism

The metabolic process of breaking down complex molecules into simpler units, releasing usable energy.

Anabolism

The metabolic process of synthesizing complex molecules from simpler building blocks, requiring energy.

Enzyme

A protein catalyst that accelerates chemical reactions by lowering activation energy without being consumed.

Activation Energy

The energy barrier that must be overcome for a chemical reaction to begin.

Hydrophilic

"Water-loving"; describes charged ions and polar molecules that readily interact with or dissolve in water.

Hydrophobic

"Water-fearing"; describes nonpolar molecules, fats, and oils that do not dissolve well in water.

Electrolytes

Inorganic ions that separate in water and conduct electricity, essential for muscle, nerve, and body fluid function.

pH Scale

A scale ranging from 0 to 14 measuring hydrogen-ion concentration, where below 7 is acidic, 7 is neutral, and above 7 is basic.

Buffer

A chemical compound that resists sudden changes in pH by binding excess $H^+$ when solutions become acidic and releasing $H^+$ when basic.

Dehydration Synthesis

A chemical reaction that builds larger polymers from smaller monomer units by removing a molecule of water.

Hydrolysis

A chemical reaction that breaks down complex polymers into smaller units by adding water to split bonds.

Monosaccharide

A single sugar unit monomer, such as glucose, fructose, or galactose, serving as primary cellular fuel.

Glycogen

A complex polysaccharide that serves as the major animal storage form of glucose.

Triglyceride

A lipid composed of one glycerol backbone attached to three fatty acid chains, functioning in energy storage, insulation, and organ protection.

Phospholipid

An amphipathic lipid with a hydrophilic phosphate head and hydrophobic fatty acid tails, forming cell membrane bilayers.

Denaturation

A change in a protein's 3-D shape caused by extreme heat, acids, or bases, rendering it nonfunctional.

Nucleotide

The monomer building block of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), consisting of a 5-carbon pentose sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

ATP

Adenosine triphosphate; a high-energy compound containing three phosphate groups that functions as the cell's immediate energy currency.