Anatomy Practical Terms

Cellular Transport

Movement of substances across the cell membrane, which is essential for nutrient uptake, waste removal, and maintaining homeostasis.

secretion

a process by which substances are produced and discharged from a cell, gland, or organ for a particular function in the organism or for excretion.

intracellular fluid

fluid inside cells

extracellular fluid

fluid outside the cell

Passive transport

A form of membrane transport that does not require energy and moves substances down their concentration gradient.

Simple diffusion

Movement of a substance directly across the phospholipid bilayer until equilibrium is reached.

Facilitated diffusion

Passive transport that uses a transport protein to move substances across the membrane.

Osmosis

Movement of water across a selectively permeable membrane from low solute concentration to high solute concentration.

Active transport

Membrane transport that requires energy (ATP) and a carrier protein to move substances against their concentration gradient.

Primary active transport

Type of active transport that directly uses ATP to move substances across the membrane.

Secondary active transport

Type of active transport that uses energy from the movement of another substance down its gradient.

Endocytosis/exocytosis

Processes used to move large materials into (endocytosis) or out of (exocytosis) the cell.

colligative property

A property that depends only upon the number of solute particles, and not upon their identity

Osmolarity

Measure of solute concentration in a solution; used to compare concentrations between solutions.

Isosmotic

Two solutions with the same osmolarity.

Hyperosmotic

A solution with a higher solute concentration compared to another.

Hypoosmotic

A solution with a lower solute concentration compared to another.

Tonicity

The ability of an extracellular solution to cause a cell to gain or lose water through osmosis.

Isotonic

When the solute concentrations are equal inside and outside the cell; no net water movement occurs.

Hypotonic

When the extracellular fluid has a lower solute concentration than inside the cell, causing water to enter and the cell to swell or lyse.

Hypertonic

When the extracellular fluid has a higher solute concentration than inside the cell, causing water to leave and the cell to shrink (crenation).

Crenation

The shrinking of a cell due to water loss in a hypertonic solution.

Lysis

The bursting of a cell due to water influx in a hypotonic solution.

Percent solution

A way to express solute concentration, either by mass/volume or volume/volume per 100 mL of solution.

Molarity

Concentration expressed as moles of solute per liter of solution (mol/L).

Dialysis

Process of separating small solutes from large solutes across a semipermeable membrane, often used in kidney treatment.

Semipermeable membrane

A membrane that allows some substances (usually small or uncharged) to pass through while blocking others.

mucous membranes

thin sheets of tissue that line respiratory passages and secrete mucus, a viscid (sticky) fluid

serous membrane

thin layer of tissue that covers internal body cavities and secretes a fluid that keeps the membrane moist; also called serosa

pleura

double-layered membrane surrounding each lung

pericardium

Double-layered membrane surrounding the heart.

peritoneum

a multilayered membrane that protects and holds the organs in place within the abdominal cavity

condyle

A large, rounded, articulating knob

facet

A flattened or shallow articulating surface

head

A prominent, rounded, articulating end of a bone

crest

A narrow, ridgelike projection

epicondyle

A projection above a condyle

process

Any marked, bony prominence

spine

A sharp, slender process

trochanter

A massive process found only on the femur

tubercle

A small, rounded process

tuberosity

A large, roughened process

alveolus

A deep pit or socket

fissure

A narrow, slit-like opening

foramen

A rounded opening through a bone

fossa

A flattened or shallow surface

fovea

A small pit or depression

meatus or canal

A tube-like passageway through a bone

sinus

A cavity or hollow space in a bone

sulcus

A groove that accommodates a vessel, nerve, or tendon

Periosteum

a dense layer of vascular connective tissue enveloping the bones except at the surfaces of the joints.

Diaphysis

shaft of a long bone

Epiphysis

End of a long bone

Epiphyseal plate

cartilaginous area at the ends of long bones where lengthwise growth takes place in the immature skeleton

Articular cartilage

covers the surfaces of bones where they come together to form joints

Meniscus

The curved upper surface of a liquid in a tube

Joint cavity

the space between two connecting bones

Synovial fluid

joint-lubricating fluid secreted by the synovial membrane

Fibrous joints

bones joined by collages fibers of connective tissues

Sutures

found only between bones of skulls

Syndesmoses

junction of bones held together by ligaments

Gomphoses

tooth attached to socket with periodontal ligament

Cartilaginous Joints

bones joined by cartilage

Synchondroses

joints of hyaline cartilage between the shaft and epiphyseal plates of growing long bones

Symphses

bones joined by fibrocartilage

Synovial Joints

articulating bones separated by a fluid cavity

Synovial joint categories

plane, condylar, ball and socket, hinge, saddle, pivot

Synarthroses

immovable joints

Amphiarthroses

slightly movable joints

Diarthroses

freely movable joints (synovial)