1.1 Basics Flashcards

INTRODUCTION

Anatomy—study of structure

Physiology—study of function

Anatomy and physiology are complementary and never entirely separable

•Physiology provides meaning to anatomy

•Anatomy is what makes physiology possible

ANATOMY - THE STUDY OF FORM_01

Ways to examine structure of the human body:

•Inspection—look at appearance (physical examinations and making clinical diagnosis from surface appearance) (also involve touching and listening to the body)

•Palpation—feeling a structure with the hands

•Auscultation—listening to sounds produced by body

•Percussion—tap on the body, feel for resistance, and listen to emitted sound for abnormalities (pockets of fluid, air, or scar tissue) (listening to the echo)

•Dissection—cutting and separating human body tissues to reveal tissue relationships; use a cadaver, a dead human body

•Comparative anatomy—study (for example, dissection) of multiple species to learn about form, function, and evolution (to examine similarities and differences and analyze evolutionary trends)

•Exploratory surgery—opening the living body to see what is wrong; now replaced by medical imaging to view inside without surgery

Radiology—branch of medicine specializing in imaging

ANATOMY - THE STUDY OF FORM_02

Subdisciplines of anatomy include:

•Gross anatomy—study of structures that can be seen with the naked eye

•Histology (microscopic anatomy)—examination of tissues with microscope

•Histopathology—microscopic examination of tissues for signs of disease

Cytology—study of structure and function of cells; fine detail (ultrastructure) may be resolved using an electron microscope

1.1B PHYSIOLOGY - THE STUDY OF FUNCTION

Physiology uses the methods of experimental science

•Subdisciplines of physiology include:

•Neurophysiology—physiology of nervous system

•Endocrinology—physiology of hormones

•Pathophysiology—mechanisms of disease

•Comparative physiology

•Study of different species to learn about body functions. For example, a cardiac surgeon may learn animal surgery before practicing on humans, and a vaccine cannot be used on human subjects until it has been demonstrated through animal research that is confers significant net benefits.

Basis for much of our understanding of human physiology and the development of new drugs and medical procedures