Chapter 1 - Introduction to the body Flashcards
abdominal cavity
the space that contains the stomach, intestines, spleen, liver, and other organs; it is the superior portion of the abdominopelvic cavity
abdominal region
the part of the body where the abdominopelvic cavity is
abdominopelvic cavity
the space that contains the abdominal cavity and the pelvic cavity; these cavities are not separated by a muscular or membrane wall, but are often thought of as being separate
abdominopelvic quadrants
a way of making it easier for medical personnel to identify a specific portion of the abdominopelvic cavity; the abdominopelvic cavity is divided into four quadrants:
(1) right upper quadrant (RUQ), also called right superior;
(2) right lower quadrant (RLQ), also called right inferior;
(3) left upper quadrant (LUQ), also called left superior;
(4) left lower quadrant (LLQ), also called left inferior;
it is important to note that these quadrants are from the PATIENT’S point of view, not the doctor’s, so it refers to what the patient’s right or left is, and not the doctor’s
acromial region
another word for the highest point on a shoulder blade
anatomical position
a body pose where the body is standing erect, feet and head are pointing forward, arms are at the side, and the palms are facing forward (similar to how you would lie a dead body on its back while dissecting it)
anatomy
the study of the physical structure of a body; this can be done on a dead body
angstrom
1/10,000,000,000 (ten-billionth) of a meter; the symbol is Å
antebrachial region
another name for the forearm
antecubital region
another word for the front of the elbow; plasma center donations are drawn from this region
anterior
a directional term that means “towards the front of the body”
anterior view
a point of view where you are looking at the front of the body (the side with the face, chest, and genitals in the anatomical position)
appendicular portion of the body
the part of the body that is made up of the arms and legs (also called extremities, or limbs)
atrophy
decrease in size or wasting away of a body part or tissue
axial portion of the body
the part of the body that contains the head, neck, and torso
axillary region
another name for the armpits
brachial region
another name for the upper arm (which is between the forearm and the armpit)
buccal region
another name for the lower cheek
calcaneal region
another name for the heel of the foot
carpal region
another name for the wrists
cells
the smallest living units of structure and function in the body
centimeter
1/100 of a meter
cephalic region
another name for the head
cervical region
another name for the neck
clavicle
the long horizontal bone on the shoulders; also called the collarbone
control center
the thing that determines the set point for a homeostatic variable; it takes information from the receptor and then decides on the correct course of action; it then communicates information about the correct course to the effector (example: thermostat in a building)
coronal plane
another word for the frontal plane
cortex
the outermost (or superficial) layer of an organ
cortical
a term that refers to the outer region: the cortex
coxal region
another name for the hips
cranial cavity
the space inside the skull that contains the brain
cranial region
another name for the skull or cranial cavity
crural region
another name for the front and lower part of the leg, the shin area
cubital region
another name for the elbow
cutaneous region
another name for the skin
deep
a directional term that means “towards the inside of the body”; the term internal may be used in place of deep
diaphragm
a dome-shaped muscle that is important for breathing; it separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominopelvic cavity
digital region
another name for the fingers or toes
directional point of view principle
this refers to the fact that when describing left or right, it is always done from the patient’s point of view (i.e., the patient’s right or left) and not the doctor’s
distal
a directional term that means “away from the trunk of the body”; can also refer to something that is farthest away from the connecting point between the trunk and an arm or leg
dorsal
another word for posterior
dorsal body cavity
one of the two major cavities in the human body; it protects the nervous system and has two subdivisions: the cranial cavity and the spinal cavity; it is called dorsal because the spine is in the back of the body
dorsal region
another name for the back
effector
the thing that allows the body to react to a change; it can do this by either reducing the direction the change is going in (negative feedback) or increasing the direction the change is going in (positive feedback) (example: furnace in a building that increases the heat when its cold or turns off when its too hot)
exercise physiology
the study of how exercise impacts the physiology of the body, and especially how it disrupts the body’s homeostasis
experimental control
any procedure within a scientific experiment that ensures that the test situation itself is not affecting the outcome of the experiment
facial region
another name for the face
feedback loop
a biological mechanism in the body that uses a receptor, a control center, and an effector in order to maintain homeostasis; most feedback loops in the body are negative; feedback loops can either oppose or encourage a change in the body
femoral region
another name for the thigh part of the leg
fibular region
another name for the side of the lower part of the leg that faces outward (away from the body)
frontal plane
an imaginary vertical line that divides the body into front and back parts
frontal region
another name for the forehead
gluteal region
another name for the buttocks
groin
the area that contains the pit where the thigh meets the trunk; this pit is between the genitals and the thigh; the groin is not that pit, but the groin is the muscles that are around that area
hallux
another name for the big toe
heel
the back and bottom part of the foot
hips
the general area where the femur connects with the pelvis
homeostasis
the internal and external bodily conditions required to sustain life; these must be stable in order for life to exist
homeostatic imbalance
the inability of the body to maintain an ideal homeostasis; this is the source of disease and death
homeostatic variable
a specific condition required for homeostasis; a variable has a range of values that is acceptable to fluctuate around and not a specific and exact value
horizontal plane
another word for the transverse plane
inferior
a directional term that means “towards the bottom of the feet”, which means that it refers to a lower part of a structure or the body; the terms caudal or caudad may also be used in place of inferior
inguinal region
another name for the groin
lateral
a directional term that means “away from the midsagittal plane”
levels of organization
from lowest to highest: (1) cells; (2) tissues; (3) organs; (4) systems; (5) the entire body
lower abdominopelvic region
the lowest-located three regions of the nine abdominopelvic regions; it contains the right iliac region (also called the right inguinal region), the hypogastric region (in the center; it is also called the pubic region), and the left iliac region (also called the left inguinal region)
lumbar region
the area that is the lower back between the ribs and pelvis
mammary region
another name for the breasts
manus
another word for the entire hand
medial
a directional term that means “towards the midsagittal plane”
median plane
another word for the midsagittal plane
mediastinum
the middle part of the thoracic cavity; it contains the pericardial cavity
medulla
the inner region of an organ or tissue, especially when it is distinguishable from the outer region or cortex
medullary
a term that refers to an inner region: the medulla
mental region
another name for the chin; do not confuse with the use of the word mental for mind
metacarpal region
the region of the hand between the wrist and the fingers
metatarsal region
the middle part of the foot, between the toes and the back bones of the foot
meter
the base unit of length in the metric system, equal to 39.37 inches
metric system
a system of measurement that uses the meter, liter, and gram as base units of length (distance), capacity (volume), and weight (mass)
micrometer
1/1,000,000 (one-millionth) of a meter; the symbol is μm
micron
another name for the micrometer
middle abdominopelvic region
the middle-located three regions of the nine abdominopelvic regions; it contains the right lumbar region, the umbilical region (in the center), and the left lumber region; it is important to note that this is from the PATIENT’S point of view, not the doctor’s, so it refers to what the patient’s right or left is, and not the doctor’s
midsagittal plane
a word that means that the sagittal plane is exactly in the middle and is dividing the body into equal halves of left and right; this is also called the midline
millimeter
1/1000 of a meter
nanometer
1/1,000,000,000 (one-billionth) of a meter; the symbol is nm
nasal region
another name for the nose
navel
another name for the belly button
negative feedback loop
a type of feedback loop that opposes a change; for example: if a cold wind makes a room cold (direction of change is lower and lower temperature), the furnace will turn on to increase the heat (higher and higher temperature); the furnace is opposing the change, and that makes it a negative feedback loop
nine abdominopelvic regions
another way of making it easier for medical personnel to identify a specific portion of the abdominopelvic cavity; this method divides the abdominopelvic cavity into three regions: the upper abdominopelvic region, the middle abdominopelvic region, and the lower abdominopelvic region
occipital region
another name for the back of the skull
olecranal region
another name for the back of the elbow
ophthalmic region
another name for the orbital region, the eyes
oral region
another name for the mouth
orbital region
another name for the eyes
organs
an organization of tissues that work together to perform a special function for the system that they belong to
otic region
another name for the ears
palm
the side of the hand opposite the nails
palmar region
another name for the palm of the hand
parasagittal plane
a word that means that the sagittal plane is not exactly in the middle, but is to the left or right of it
parietal
a directional term that means “away from an internal organ”; used to describe positions inside a body cavity
patellar region
another name for the front of the knee
pedal region
another name for the feet
pelvic cavity
the space that lies in the bony pelvis and contains the urinary bladder, some reproductive organs, and the rectum; it is the inferior portion of the abdominopelvic cavity
pelvic region
the area where the pelvic cavity is
pericardial cavity
part of the mediastinum, it contains the heart, esophagus, and trachea, among others
perineal region
the area where the perineum is
perineum
the small area between the genitals and the anus
physiology
the study of how the physical parts in a body function and work together; this is about how the body works while alive
plantar region
another name for the sole
pleural cavity
the left and right portions of the thoracic cavity; each pleural cavity holds a lung
pollex
another name for the thumb
popliteal region
the area behind the knee
positive feedback loop
a type of feedback loop that encourages a change; for example: in a woman, when the baby is pushed from the uterus to the birth canal, the body responds by secreting a hormone that increases contractions until the baby is expelled; the body is encouraging the change (the baby coming out), and that makes it a positive feedback loop
posterior
a directional term that means “towards the back of the body”
posterior view
a point of view where you are looking at the back of the body (the side with the buttocks in the anatomical position)
prone
a body position where the body is lying down with its chest and face downwards (similar to a drowned body face down in the water)
proximal
a directional term that means “toward or nearest the trunk of the body”; can also refer to something that is close to the connecting point between the trunk and an arm or leg
receptor
also called a sensor; a thing that detects a change and relays information about the change to the control center (example: thermometer in a building)
sacral region
another name for the area at the end of the spine, directly above the buttocks
sagittal plane
an imaginary vertical line that divides the body into left and right parts; this line can move
scapula
the two flat bones behind the shoulders, near the places where the arms connect to the trunk; also called shoulder blades
scapular region
another name for the scapula
scientific method
a method of procedure that has characterized natural science since the 17th century, consisting in systematic observation, measurement, and experiment, and the formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses
set point
the level or range at which a variable must be maintained
sole
the bottom of the foot
spinal cavity
the space that is made up of the spine; the spine contains the delicate spinal cord; also called the vertebral cavity
sternal region
another name for the sternum
sternum
a bone that makes up the front and center part of the ribs
structure fits function
a phrase that refers to the fact that body parts are structured and positioned in a way that supports their function in the body
superficial
a directional term that means “towards the surface of the body”; the term external may be used in place of superficial
superior
a directional term that means “towards the top of the head”, which means that it refers to an upper part of a structure or the body; the terms cranial and cephalad may also be used in place of superior
supine
a body position where the body is lying down with its chest and face upwards (similar to a body lying in a coffin)
supraclavicular
the area above the clavicle
sural region
another name for the back of the lower part of the leg (behind the shins)
systems
an organization of organs that work together to perform a special function for the whole body
tarsal region
another name for the ankle
temporal region
another name for the sides of the skull
thermometer
an instrument for measuring and displaying temperature
thermostat
a device that automatically regulates temperature, or that activates a device when the temperature reaches a certain point
thoracic cavity
the space that contains the ribs and muscles of the chest; also called the chest cavity; it is made up of the mediastinum and the pleural cavities
thoracic region
another name for the chest, where the thoracic cavity is
tissues
an organization of many cells that work together to perform a special function for the organ they belong to
transverse plane
an imaginary horizontal line that divides the body into top and bottom parts
umbilical region
the area around the navel
upper abdominopelvic region
the highest-located three regions of the nine abdominopelvic regions; it contains the right hypochondriac region, the epigastric region (in the center), and the left hypochondriac region; it is important to note that this is from the PATIENT’S point of view, not the doctor’s, so it refers to what the patient’s right or left is, and not the doctor’s
ventral
another word for anterior
ventral body cavity
one of the two major cavities in the human body; it protects the internal organs and has two subdivisions: the thoracic cavity and the abdominopelvic cavity; it is called ventral because the internal organs are in the front of the body
vertebral region
another name for the spinal area
viscera
the internal organs in the ventral body cavity; also called visceral organs
visceral
a directional term that means “towards an internal organ”; used to describes position inside a body cavity
volar region
refers to either the palm of the hand or the sole of the foot
zygomatic region
another name for the upper cheek
