Language of Anatomy & Physiology 1 – Exam 1 Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the study guide across body organization, homeostasis, tissues, membranes, integumentary system, and related topics.

Anatomical position

Standard reference position: standing upright, feet together, arms at sides, palms facing forward.

Body planes and sections

Imaginary flat surfaces used to divide the body; planes include sagittal, frontal (coronal), and transverse; sections are the resulting cuts.

Sagittal plane

Vertical plane that divides the body into left and right portions.

Frontal (coronal) plane

Vertical plane that divides the body into anterior (front) and posterior (back) parts.

Transverse (horizontal) plane

Horizontal plane that divides the body into superior (top) and inferior (bottom) parts.

Section

A slice or cut along a plane to expose internal structures.

Cranial cavity

Dorsal body cavity that houses the brain.

Vertebral (spinal) cavity

Dorsal body cavity that houses the spinal cord.

Thoracic cavity

Ventral body cavity that contains the heart and lungs.

Abdominopelvic cavity

Ventral body cavity that houses digestive and reproductive organs; combines abdominal and pelvic cavities.

Dorsal body cavity

Cavities along the back protecting the brain and spinal cord (cranial and vertebral).

Ventral body cavity

Front-side cavities housing internal organs (thoracic and abdominopelvic).

Abdominopelvic quadrants

Four regions (RUQ, LUQ, RLQ, LLQ) used to describe organ locations.

RUQ (right upper quadrant)

Upper-right quadrant; contains liver, gallbladder, portions of stomach and intestine.

LUQ (left upper quadrant)

Upper-left quadrant; contains stomach, spleen, pancreas, portions of intestine.

RLQ (right lower quadrant)

Lower-right quadrant; contains cecum, appendix, portions of intestine.

LLQ (left lower quadrant)

Lower-left quadrant; contains descending and sigmoid colon, portions of intestine.

Anterior (ventral)

Toward the front of the body.

Posterior (dorsal)

Toward the back of the body.

Superior (cranial)

Toward the head or upper part of a structure.

Inferior (caudal)

Toward the feet or lower part of a structure.

Medial

Toward the midline of the body.

Lateral

Away from the midline; toward the outer sides.

Proximal

Closer to the point of attachment or origin.

Distal

Farther from the point of attachment or origin.

Superficial

Toward or at the body surface.

Deep

Away from the body surface; internal.

Anatomy

The branch of biology that studies the structure of body parts.

Physiology

The branch of biology that studies the function of body parts.

Interrelationship of anatomy and physiology

Anatomy explains structure; physiology explains function; structure determines function.

Levels of organization

From simplest to most complex: chemical, cellular, tissue, organ, organ system, organism.

Chemical level

Atoms and molecules forming the building blocks of matter.

Cellular level

Cells and their organelles; basic units of life.

Tissue level

Groups of similar cells performing a common function.

Organ level

Structures composed of two or more tissue types performing a specific function.

Organ system level

Groups of organs that cooperate to carry out broad functions.

Organism level

The entire living being.

Homeostasis

Maintenance of a stable internal environment in the body.

Setpoint

Ideal value of a controlled variable maintained by homeostasis.

Variable

Any condition that can change and is regulated by homeostasis.

Receptor (sensor)

Structure that detects changes in a controlled condition.

Effector (target)

Organ or cell that responds to restore homeostasis.

Control (integrating) center

Structure that processes input and determines the appropriate response.

Feedback mechanism (loop)

Cycle of receptor, control center, and effector that maintains homeostasis.

Negative feedback

A feedback in which the response reduces the stimulus; most common in homeostasis.

Positive feedback

A feedback in which the response amplifies the stimulus; less common.

Histology

The study of tissues—the microscopic structure of tissues.

Four major tissue types

Epithelial, connective, muscle, and nervous (neural) tissue.

Epithelial tissue

Tissues that line surfaces and glands; typically cellular, polar, avascular, and capable of regeneration.

Connective tissue

Tissues with extracellular matrix that connect, support, and protect; diverse types.

Muscle tissue

Tissues specialized for contraction: skeletal, smooth, and cardiac.

Neural tissue

Nervous tissue consisting of neurons and supporting cells.

Glands: endocrine vs exocrine

Endocrine glands secrete hormones into the blood; exocrine glands secrete onto surfaces via ducts.

Membranes

Mucous, serous, cutaneous, and synovial membranes—protective coverings with distinct locations and functions.

Mucous membrane

Membrane lining body cavities that open to the exterior; epithelium with goblet cells.

Serous membrane

Membrane lining closed ventral cavities and covering organs; produces serous fluid.

Cutaneous membrane

Skin; dry, protective membrane.

Synovial membrane

Membrane lining joint cavities that produces synovial fluid.

Epidermis

Keratinized stratified squamous epithelium; outermost skin layer.

Layers of the epidermis

Thin skin: basale, spinosum, granulosum, corneum; thick skin also has lucidum.

Thin skin vs thick skin

Thin skin lacks lucidum; thick skin includes lucidum and is on palms/soles.

Subcutaneous layer (hypodermis)

Layer beneath the dermis; mostly adipose tissue; anchors skin to underlying tissues.

Integumentary system components

Skin, hair, nails, glands, and subcutaneous tissue.

Functions of the integumentary system

Protection, temperature regulation, sensation, vitamin D synthesis, excretion.

Rule of nines

Method to estimate total body surface area affected by burns.

Second-degree burn (partial-thickness burn)

Burn affecting the epidermis and part of the dermis.