Chapter 1: The Human Body—Orientation (Flashcards)

A comprehensive set of practice flashcards covering the key concepts from Chapter 1: The Human Body—An Orientation, including anatomy/physiology basics, body organization, homeostasis, directional terms, body planes, cavities, regional terms, and the abdominopelvic regions.

What is Anatomy?

The study of the structure of body parts and their relationships to one another.

What is Physiology?

The study of the function of the body; how body parts work to carry out life-sustaining activities.

What reference values are used for the textbook’s reference male and reference female?

Reference male: healthy, young ~155 lb (70 kg); Reference female: healthy, young ~125 lb (57 kg).

What does Anatomical Variability refer to?

Humans vary slightly in external and internal anatomy; most structures match descriptions, but nerves/blood vessels may be out of place and small muscles may be missing; extreme variations are rare and usually incompatible with life.

Differentiate between Sex and Gender as defined in the notes.

Sex: biological attributes (chromosomes, gene expression, hormones). Gender: psychosocial construct of behaviors, expressions, and identities.

What are the subdivisions of Gross (macroscopic) anatomy?

Regional anatomy, System anatomy, and Surface anatomy.

What are the subdivisions of Microscopic anatomy?

Cytology (cells) and Histology (tissues).

What does Developmental anatomy study?

Structural changes that occur throughout the life span; Embryology covers changes before birth.

List essential tools for studying anatomy besides observation.

Observe, Manipulate, Palpate, Auscultate.

Name common medical imaging technologies.

X-ray, MRI, CT, and ultrasound.

Give examples of Physiological subdivisions.

Renal physiology, Neurophysiology, Cardiovascular physiology; often at cellular/molecular level and depend on chemical reactions.

What is the Principle of Complementarity of Structure and Function?

Function always reflects structure; what a structure can do depends on its form.

What are the levels of structural organization from simplest to most complex?

Chemical level, Cellular level, Tissue level, Organ level, Organ system level, Organismal level.

How many organ systems are in the human body and can you name them?

11 organ systems: Integumentary, Skeletal, Muscular, Nervous, Endocrine, Cardiovascular, Lymphatic, Respiratory, Digestive, Urinary, Reproductive.

What is Homeostasis?

Maintenance of relatively stable internal conditions despite environmental changes; a dynamic state of equilibrium.

What is the Law of Mass Balance in homeostasis?

Total amount of a substance in the body must be equal to the amount it loses to remain constant.

What are the three components of a homeostatic control system?

Receptor (sensor), Control center, and Effector.

What is the role of the Receptor in homeostatic control?

Monitors the environment and responds to stimuli; sends information to the control center.

What is the role of the Control Center?

Receives input from the receptor, determines set point, and sends information to the effector.

What is the role of the Effector?

Responds to the control center output; brings about a response that can reduce or enhance the stimulus.

Define Negative Feedback and give an example.

Response reduces or shuts off the original stimulus (e.g., body temperature regulation; insulin regulation of blood glucose).

Define Positive Feedback and give an example.

Response enhances the original stimulus; usually controls infrequent events (e.g., labor contractions, platelet plug formation).

What is Feedforward control?

An anticipatory response before a change in the internal environment (e.g., salivation before eating).

What is Homeostatic Imbalance?

Disturbance of homeostasis; increases disease risk and aging; negative feedback can be overwhelmed, leading to harmful positive feedback.

Describe the Anatomical Position used as the reference point.

Body erect, feet slightly apart, palms facing forward, thumbs pointing away from the body.

What are the directional terms Superior and Inferior?

Superior: toward the head end or upper part; Inferior: away from the head or toward the lower part.

What do Anterior (ventral) and Posterior (dorsal) mean?

Anterior: toward the front of the body; Posterior: toward the back.

What do Medial and Lateral describe?

Medial: toward the midline; Lateral: away from the midline.

What does Intermediate mean in anatomy?

Between a more medial and a more lateral structure.

Define Proximal and Distal.

Proximal: closer to the point of origin or attachment; Distal: farther from the origin or attachment.

What do Superficial and Deep describe?

Superficial: toward or at the body surface; Deep: away from the surface; more internal.

Explain the difference between Ventral/Anterior and Dorsal/Posterior in humans.

Ventral and Anterior are largely synonymous in humans; Dorsal and Posterior are largely synonymous in humans.

What are Axial and Appendicular regions?

Axial: head, neck, and trunk; Appendicular: limbs (arms and legs) and their attachments.

What are the three main body planes?

Sagittal, Frontal (Coronal), and Transverse (Horizontal) planes.

What is a midsagittal (median) plane?

A sagittal plane that lies exactly in the midline.

What is a parasagittal plane?

A sagittal plane offset from the midline.

Describe the Frontal (Coronal) plane.

Vertical plane that divides the body into anterior and posterior parts.

Describe the Transverse (Horizontal) plane.

Horizontal plane that divides the body into superior and inferior parts.

What is an Oblique section?

A cut made along any plane not a right angle to a principal plane; often difficult to interpret.

What are the dorsal and ventral body cavities and their subdivisions?

Dorsal cavity: protects nervous system; subdivisions are Cranial and Vertebral. Ventral cavity: houses visceral organs; subdivided into Thoracic (pleural, mediastinum, pericardial) and Abdominopelvic (abdominal and pelvic).

What are Serous membranes and their components?

Thin, double-layered membranes (parietal lines cavities, visceral covers organs) with a serous fluid between; include pleura, peritoneum, and pericardium.

What are the names of the serous membranes for the specific cavities?

Parietal and visceral layers: Pleura (lungs), Peritoneum (abdominopelvic organs), Pericardium (heart).

What are abdominopelvic quadrants and their purpose?

Four quadrants used by clinicians: RUQ, LUQ, RLQ, LLQ to locate organs and pathologies.

What are the nine abdominopelvic regions?

Right hypochondriac, Epigastric, Left hypochondriac; Right lumbar, Umbilical, Left lumbar; Right iliac (inguinal), Hypogastric (pubic), Left iliac (inguinal).

What is the clinical importance of ‘wrong-site surgery’?

A critical surgical error where the wrong body side/part is operated on (e.g., removing the wrong leg).

What additional body cavities exist outside the main two cavities?

Open cavities: Oral/digestive cavity, Nasal cavity, Orbital cavities, Middle ear cavities; Closed cavities: Synovial cavities around joints.

What are the serous membranes in the ventral cavity that can become inflamed?

Pleurisy (pleurae), Peritonitis (peritoneum), and others involving serous membranes.

Why are organ systems important for cellular survival?

Organ systems service the cells; all cells depend on organ systems to meet their survival needs.

What is the role of membranes in the abdominal cavity?

Serous membranes (parietal and visceral peritoneum) with peritoneal fluid reduce friction and cushion organs.