Anatomy and Physiology Lecture Notes

Flashcards reviewing key concepts from anatomy and physiology lecture notes.

Anatomy

Scientific discipline that investigates the body’s structure.

Physiology

Scientific investigation of the processes or functions of living things.

Gross Anatomy

Structures examined without a microscope.

Regional Anatomy

Studied area by area.

Systemic Anatomy

Studied system by system.

Surface Anatomy

External form and relation to deeper structures as x-ray in anatomic imaging.

Cytology

Cellular anatomy.

Histology

Study of tissues.

Chemical Level (of organization)

Subatomic particles, atoms, molecules, and organelles.

Cellular Level (of organization)

Cells.

Tissue Level (of organization)

Groups of similar cells.

Organ Level (of organization)

Contains two or more types of tissues.

Organ System Level (of organization)

Organs that work closely together.

Organismal Level (of organization)

All organ systems combined to make the whole organism.

Integumentary System

Provides protection, regulates temperature, prevents water loss, and helps produce vitamin D.

Skeletal System

Provides protection and support, allows body movements, produces blood cells, and stores minerals and adipose.

Muscular System

Produces body movements, maintains posture, and produces body heat.

Nervous System

Detects sensations and controls movements, physiological processes, and intellectual functions.

Endocrine System

Influences metabolism, growth, reproduction, and many other functions.

Cardiovascular System

Transports nutrients, waste products, gases, and hormones throughout the body.

Lymphatic System

Removes foreign substances from the blood and lymph, combats disease, maintains tissue fluid balance.

Respiratory System

Exchanges oxygen and carbon dioxide between the blood and air and regulates blood pH.

Digestive System

Performs the mechanical and chemical processes of digestion, absorption of nutrients, and elimination of wastes.

Urinary System

Removes waste products from the blood and regulates blood pH, ion balance, and water balance.

Female Reproductive System

Produces oocytes, is the site of fertilization and fetal development, produces milk, and produces hormones that influence sexual function.

Male Reproductive System

Produces and transfers sperm cells to the female and produces hormones that influence sexual functions and behaviors.

Homeostasis

Maintenance of relatively stable internal conditions despite continuous changes in environment.

Set Point

The physiological value around which the normal range fluctuates.

Normal Range

The restricted set of values that is optimally healthful and stable.

Effector

Causes a change to reverse the situation and return the value to the normal range.

Feedforward regulation

A controller generates commands without directly sensing the regulated variable.

Cranial Cavity

Houses the brain.

Vertebral Canal

Houses the spinal cord.

Ventral Body Cavity

Contains majority of viscera.

Pleural Cavities

Each enclosing a lung.

Mediastinum

Contains the heart, some major blood vessels, thymus, trachea, esophagus.

Abdominopelvic Cavity

Consisting of the abdominal cavity and pelvic cavity.

Abdominal Cavity

Contains many digestive organs.

Pelvic Cavity

Contains urinary bladder, urethra, rectum, reproductive organs.

Serous Membranes

Cover the organs of trunk cavities and line the cavity.

Pericardium

Surrounds the heart.

Pleura

Surrounds the lungs and lines the thoracic cavity.

Peritoneum

Surrounds many abdominal organs and lines the abdominopelvic cavity.