Compendium One Flashcards
Homeostasis
The maintenance of a constant and stable environment inside the body
Macroscopic
Structures that are large enough to be seen with the naked eye
Microscopic
Structures that are so small they must be visualised using a microscope
Organism
A living thing
Anatomical position
When a person is standing upright, with their head facing forward, feet forward, hands by their sides and palms facing forward
Anterior
A directional term meaning closer to the front of the body
Posterior
A directional term meaning closer to the back of the body
Superior
A directional term meaning above, relative to another structure
Inferior
A directional term meaning below, relative to another structure
Medial
A directional term meaning closer to the midline of the body
Lateral
A directional term meaning further away from the midline of the body
Sagittal plane
A plane running vertically through the body separating it into a left and right half
Transverse plane
A plane running horizontally through the body separating it into a superior and inferior half
Frontal plane
A plane running vertically through the body separating it into an anterior and posterior half
Oblique plane
A plane running on a diagonal line through the body
Diaphragm
A thin skeletal muscle involved in breathing, it separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominopelvic cavity
Visceral
Relating to the internal organs
Parietal
Relating to the wall of a cavity
Serous membrane
A thin cellular sheet that lines organs and cavities of the body
Medulla
The inner (or middle) part of an organ
Cortex
The outer (or peripheral) part of an organ
