Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology

Flashcards covering key vocabulary terms and definitions from the lecture notes on Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology, including body organization, systems, planes, directional terms, regional terms, body cavities, and homeostasis.

Physiology

The study of the functions of the body and its parts, covering how things work and what they do.

Anatomy

The study of the form and structure of the body and its parts, including what things look like and where they are.

Macroscopic Anatomy

Also known as gross anatomy, it deals with body parts that can be seen by the naked eye without assistance, such as organs, muscles, and bones.

Microscopic Anatomy

The study of body parts that cannot be seen without assistance and require a microscope, such as cells and tissues.

Regional Anatomy

An approach to anatomy that involves studying all components (cells, tissues, blood vessels, nerves, muscles, organs, bones) within individual regions of the body.

Systemic Anatomy

An approach to anatomy that deals with specific systems of the body, such as the nervous system or skeletal system.

Skeletal System

Composed of bones and joints.

Integumentary System

Composed of skin, hair, and nails (hooves).

Nervous System

Composed of the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system.

Cardiovascular System

Composed of the heart and blood vessels.

Respiratory System

Composed of lungs and air passageways.

Digestive System

Composed of the gastrointestinal tube and accessory digestive organs.

Muscular System

Composed of skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle.

Sensory System

Composed of organs of general sense and special sense.

Endocrine System

Composed of endocrine glands and hormones.

Urinary System

Composed of kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra.

Reproductive System

Composed of male and female reproductive structures.

Sagittal Plane

An imaginary plane that runs the length of the body and divides it into unequal left and right parts.

Median Plane

A special sagittal plane that runs down the center of the body and divides it into equal left and right parts.

Transverse Plane

An imaginary plane across the body that divides it into cranial (head) and caudal (tail) parts that are not necessarily equal.

Dorsal Plane

An imaginary plane at right angles to the sagittal and transverse planes, dividing the body into dorsal (towards the back) and ventral (towards the belly) parts that are not necessarily equal.

Cranial

A directional term meaning towards the head.

Caudal

A directional term meaning towards the tail.

Rostral

A directional term used only for descriptive terms on the head, meaning towards the nose.

Dorsal

A directional term meaning towards the back.

Ventral

A directional term meaning towards the belly.

Medial

A directional term meaning towards the midline (median plane).

Lateral

A directional term meaning away from the midline (median plane).

Deep

A directional term meaning towards the center of the body or body part; internal.

Superficial

A directional term meaning towards the surface of the body or body part; external.

Proximal

A directional term meaning towards the body or origin.

Distal

A directional term meaning away from the body or origin.

Palmar

The back surface of the distal fore limb (from the carpus distally).

Plantar

The back surface of the distal rear limb (from the tarsus distally).

Barrel

The trunk of the body, made from the rib cage and abdomen.

Brisket

The area at the base of the neck, between the front limbs, covering the cranial sternum.

Cannon

The large metacarpal or metatarsal bone of hooved animals.

Fetlock

The joint between the cannon bone and proximal phalanx in hooved animals.

Flank

The lateral surface of the abdomen, located between the last rib and the rear limbs.

Hock

The tarsus of an animal.

Knee (hooved animals)

The carpus of hooved animals.

Muzzle

The rostral part of the face, including the maxillary and nasal bones.

Pastern

The area of the proximal phalanx of hooved animals.

Poll

The top of the head, located between the ears.

Stifle

The femorotibial/femoropatellar joint of an animal.

Tailhead

The dorsal aspect of the base of the tail.

Withers

The area dorsal to the scapulas.

Bilateral symmetry

A characteristic of the animal body where the left and right halves are mirror images of each other, reflecting both inner and outer structure.

Dorsal Body Cavity

Contains the brain and spinal cord, extending from the head to the caudal region.

Ventral Body Cavity

A larger body cavity containing most of the soft organs (viscera), divided into the cranial thoracic cavity and caudal abdominal cavity by the diaphragm.

Diaphragm

A thin layer of muscle that divides the ventral body cavity into the cranial thoracic cavity and the caudal abdominal cavity.

Pleura

A thin membrane that covers the heart, major blood vessels, lungs, and esophagus within the thoracic cavity, and lines the thoracic wall.

Visceral pleura

The layer of the pleura that directly touches the organs within the thoracic cavity.

Parietal pleura

The layer of the pleura that lines the thoracic wall.

Peritoneum

A thin membrane that covers the digestive, urinary, and reproductive organs within the abdominal cavity, and lines the abdominal wall.

Visceral peritoneum

The layer of the peritoneum that directly touches the organs within the abdominal cavity.

Parietal peritoneum

The layer of the peritoneum that lines the abdominal wall.

Cells

The basic functional units of life and the smallest subdivisions of the body capable of life, specializing to perform various functions.

Tissues

Groups of specialized cells that work together, forming one of the four basic types: epithelial, connective, muscle, and nervous.

Epithelial Tissue

Composed only of cells, it covers and protects surfaces, secretes, and absorbs.

Connective Tissue

Composed of living and non-living intercellular substances, it binds cells and structures together and supports the body.

Muscle Tissue

Responsible for movement, it includes skeletal (voluntary), cardiac (heart), and smooth (involuntary) types.

Nervous Tissue

Composed of nerve cells (neurons) and supporting cells, it transmits information around the body and controls activities.

Organs

Groups of different tissues that work together for a common purpose, such as the kidney.

Systems (level of organization)

The most complex level of body organization, where organs work together towards a common goal, like the digestive system.

Health

A state of normal anatomy and physiology.

Homeostasis

The maintenance of a dynamic equilibrium in the body, which is a balance in activity, energy, and work.

Ascites

The accumulation of fluid in the abdomen, often resulting from the heart not pumping blood effectively, leading to increased pressure in blood vessels.