Ch 1 – The Human Organism (Lecture Notes) – Key Concepts

Flashcards to review the key concepts from Chapter 1: The Human Organism.

What is anatomy?

Anatomy is the scientific discipline that investigates the body's structure, including the size and shape of its parts.

What is physiology?

Physiology is the science of the functions and processes of living things; how the body parts work together.

Six levels of organization of the body

Chemical, cellular, tissue, organ, organ system, and organism levels.

Name the 11 organ systems

Integumentary, Skeletal, Muscular, Nervous, Endocrine, Cardiovascular, Lymphatic, Respiratory, Digestive, Urinary, and Reproductive systems.

What is homeostasis?

Maintenance of a relatively constant internal environment; variables vary around a set point.

Negative feedback?

Regulatory mechanism that counteracts a change and returns the variable to its set point.

Positive feedback?

Regulatory mechanism that amplifies deviations from the set point, continuing until the original stimulus is removed (examples: childbirth, lactation, blood clotting).

Feedback loop components

Receptor, control center, and effector.

Skeletal system functions

Provides protection and support, allows movement, produces blood cells, stores minerals and fat.

Cardiovascular system functions

Transports nutrients, wastes, gases, and hormones; helps regulate temperature; consists of the heart, blood vessels, and blood.

Four tissue types

Epithelial, connective, muscular, and nervous tissues.

What is an organ?

Two or more tissues functioning together to perform a common function.

Organ system level

Group of organs functioning together to perform a broader role.

Organism level

Any living thing, whether single-celled or multicellular.

Six characteristics of life

Organization, metabolism, responsiveness, growth, reproduction, development (including differentiation and morphogenesis).

Survival needs

Nutrients, water, oxygen, normal body temperature, and pressure.

What is development?

Changes in an organism over time.

What is differentiation?

Changes from general to specific cell/tissue types.

What is morphogenesis?

Changes in the shape of tissues, organs, etc.

Endocrine system

Major regulatory system influencing metabolism, growth, reproduction; glands secrete hormones.

Nervous system

Major regulatory system detecting sensations and controlling movements, physiological processes, and intellectual functions.

What is a tissue chip?

Tiny bioengineered 3-D models using live cells to mimic tissue/organ function for drug testing and disease modeling.

What is gross anatomy?

Structures examined without a microscope.

What is systemic anatomy?

Study of anatomy by organ system (as in this course).

Relationship between anatomy and physiology

Structure and function are interdependent.