Ch.1: The Human Body: An Orientation Flashcards
What is anatomy?
- Study of the structure and shape of the body and its parts
* Observation is used to see sizes and relationships of parts
What is gross anatomy?
- Large structures
* Easily observable
What is the digestive system, what does it consist of, and what is its function?
- Includes the oral cavity (mouth), esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, rectum, and accessory organs
- Breaks down food
- Allows for nutrient absorption into blood
- Eliminates indigestible material as feces
What is microscopic anatomy?
- Structures are too small to be seen with the naked eye
* Cells and tissues can be viewed only with a microscope
What is the anatomy of the digestive
system?
Oral cavity, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and rectum
What is the anatomy of the stomach?
Gastric pits, pyloric sphincters, surface epithelium, mucous neck cells, parietal cells, gastric glands, and chief cells.
What is physiology?
- Study of how the body and its parts work or function
- Structure determines what functions can occur
- For example, the air sacs of the lungs have very thin walls, a feature that enables them to exchange gases and provide oxygen to the body
What are the six levels of structural
organization?
- Atoms
- Cells
- Tissues
- Organs
- Organ systems
- Organisms
What is the integumentary system?
- Forms the external body covering (skin) and includes hair and fingernails
- Waterproofs the body
- Cushions and protects deeper tissue from injury
- Produces vitamin D with the help of sunlight
- Excretes salts in perspiration
- Helps regulate body temperature
- Location of cutaneous nerve receptors
What is the skeletal system?
- Consists of bones, cartilages, ligaments, and joints
- Provides muscle attachment for movement
- Protects vital organs
- Site of blood cell formation
- Stores minerals
What is the muscular system?
- Skeletal muscles contract (or shorten)
* Produces movement of bones
What is the nervous system, what does it consist of, and what is its function?
- Fast-acting control system
- Consists of brain, spinal cord, nerves, and sensory receptors
- Responds to internal and external stimuli
- Sensory receptors detect changes
- Messages are sent to the central nervous system
- Central nervous system assesses information and activates effectors (muscles and glands)
What is the function of the endocrine system?
Secretes chemical molecules, called hormones, into the blood
What body functions are controlled by hormones?
- Growth
- Reproduction
- Use of nutrients
Which glands comprise the endocrine system?
- Pituitary gland
- Thyroid and parathyroid
- Adrenal glands
- Thymus
- Pancreas
- Pineal gland
- Ovaries (females) and testes (males)
What is the cardiovascular system?
- Includes heart and blood vessels
- Heart pumps blood
- Vessels transport blood to tissues
What does blood transport?
- Oxygen and carbon dioxide
- Nutrients
- Hormones
- Blood also contains white blood cells and chemicals that provide protection from foreign invaders
What is the lymphatic system, what does it consist of, and what is its function?
- Includes lymphatic vessels, lymph nodes, and lymphoid organs
- Complements the cardiovascular system by returning leaked fluids back to bloodstream
- Lymph nodes and other lymphoid organs cleanse the blood
- Houses white blood cells, which are involved in immunity
What is the respiratory system and what does it consist of?
- Includes the nasal passages, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, and lungs
- Gases are exchanged with the blood through air sacs in the lungs which supplies the body with oxygen and removes carbon dioxide
What is the urinary system and what does it consist of?
- Includes the kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra
- Eliminates nitrogenous wastes
- Maintains acid-base balance
- Regulates water and electrolyte balance
- Helps regulate normal blood pressure
What is the male reproductive system and what does it consist of?
- For males, includes the testes, scrotum, penis, accessory glands, and duct system
- Testes produce sperm
- Duct system carries sperm to exterior
What is the female reproductive
system?
- For females, includes the ovaries, uterine tubes, uterus, and vagina
- Ovaries produce eggs
- Uterus provides site of development for fetus
What are the necessary functions to maintain life?
- Maintaining boundaries
- Movement
- Responsiveness (irritability)
- Digestion
- Metabolism
- Excretion
- Reproduction
- Growth
What is metabolism?
- Chemical reactions within the body
- Breaks down complex molecules into smaller ones
- Builds larger molecules from smaller ones
- Produces energy (ATP)
- Regulated by hormones
