Introduction to A&P Flashcards
Anatomy
Science of the body structure and their relationships
Physiology
Study of how the body parts work or their “function”
Dissection
the careful cutting apart of body structures to study their functions
Embryology
The study of the first 8 weeks of development after fertilization of a human egg
Development Biology
The study of complete development of an individual from fertilization to death
Histology
The study of microscopic structures of tissues
Gross Anatomy
The study of structures that can be seen without a microscope
Surface Anatomy
The study of surface markings of the body to understand internal anatomy through visualization and palpation (gentle touch)
Imaging Anatomy
The study of structures that can be visualized with techniques such as x-ray, MRI, CT
Pathological Anatomy
The study of structural changes (gross and microscopic) associated with disease
Systemic Anatomy
Study of the structure of specific systems, such as respiratory or nervous
Regional Anatomy
Study of specific regions of the body (head, chest, abdomen)
Neurophysiology
The study of the functional properties of nerve cells
Endocrinology
The study of hormonal (chemical messengers) responsible for control of body functions
Immunology
The study of the body’s defense against disease-causing agents
Exercise Physiology
The study of changes in cell and organ functions due to muscular activity
What are the six levels of structural organizations of the human body? (smallest to largest)
Chemical, Cellular, Tissue, Organ, System, Organism
Integumentary System Components
Skin and associated structures such as hair and nails, sweat glands, oil glands
Skeletal System Components
Bones, joints, cartilage
Muscular System Components
Muscles, specifically skeletal muscle tissue (muscle tissue that attaches to bone)
Nervous System Components
Brain, spinal cord, nerves, special sense organs (eyes & ears)
Endocrine System Components
Hormone producing glands (pineal glands, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, thymus, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal glands, pancreas, ovaries & testes)
Cardiovascular System Components
Blood, heart, and blood vessels
Lymphatic System Components
Lymphatic fluid; lymph vessels, spleen, thymus, lymph nodes & tonsils
Respiratory System Components
Lungs and air passages, pharynx (throat), larynx (voice box), trachea (windpipe)
Digestive System Components
Organs of the GI tract (mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, anus)
Urinary System Components
Kidneys, ureters, bladder, urethra
Reproductive System Components
Gonads (testes in male; ovaries in females), associated organs, females: uterine tubes or fallopian tubes, uterus, vagina, mammary glands, Males: epididymis, ductus or vas deferens, seminal vesicles, prostate, penis in males
What are the non-invasive diagnostic techniques in patient assessment?
Inspection, Palpation, Auscultation, and Percussion
Inspection
observation of the body for any deviation from normal (pulsating masses, lesions)
Palpation
gently touching the body surface to detect any abnormalities (masses, tenderness, rigidity)
Auscultation
listening to body sounds to evaluate the function of certain organs
Percussion
tapping on the body surface with fingertips and listening to the resulting sound
What are the important basic life processes that distinguish living things from non-living things?
Metabolism, responsiveness, movement, growth, differentiation, reproduction
Metabolism
Sum of all chemical processes in the body
Responsiveness
ability to detect and respond to change
Movement
motion of the whole body, organs, single cells, or tiny structures w/ in cells
Growth
increase in body size by increasing number of cells, size of cells or both
Differentiation
stem cell development of a cell from an unspecialized state to a specialized state
Reproduction
reproduction of both new cells and new organisms
How is metabolism broken down? (hierarchical relationship)
catabolism and anabolism
Catabolism
Breakdown of complex chemical substances into simpler components
Anabolism
building up of complex chemical substances from smaller, simpler components
Homeostasis
a condition of equilibrium (balance) in the body’s internal system, due to the constant interaction of the body’s regulatory processes
What type of “state” is homeostasis in?
dynamic
Is homeostasis in an always changing environment?
Yes, always being disturbed, always changing
How does the nervous system and endocrine system work together to correct an imbalance?
nervous system will provide immediate response by sending electrical impulses know as action potentials to organs to counteract this state and endocrine will be a slower response that produces hormones into the blood
What is homeostasis regulated by?
Feedback loops
Feedback system
A continuous cycle of events in which the body condition is monitored, evaluated, changed, remonitored, reevaluated, etc.
Monitored Variables
Controlled conditions: body temperature, blood pressure, blood glucose level
Stimulus
Any disruption that changes a controlled condition
Afferent Pathway
Information flows from receptor toward the control center (A = Arrives)
Efferent Pathway
Information flows away from the control center (E = Exit)
Input
Nerve or chemical signal, sent from the receptor to the control center.
Output
Nerve or chemical signal that is sent out from the control center to effectors
What are the three basic components of a feedback system?
Receptor, Control Center, Effector
Receptor
Body structure that monitors change and sends input to the control center
Control Center
Sets the range of acceptable values (set point), evaluates input from receptors, and generates output
Effector
Body structure that receives output from control center and produces a response or effect that will change the controlled condition
What are the two types of feedback systems?
Negative and Positive Feedback Systems
Negative Feedback
reserves a change in controlled conditions
Positive Feedback
strengthens or reinforces a change in one of the body’s controlled conditions
Disorder
any abnormality of structure or function (general)
Disease
an illness characterized by a recognizable set of signs and systems (specific)
Signs
Objective changes; observable, measurable (rash, fever, high blood pressure, paralysis)
Symptoms
Subjective changes in body function, not observable (nausea, anxiety, pain, headache)
What is involved in the diagnosis of disease?
History, Physical Exam, and Laboratory testing & imaging
Describe Anatomical Position
Standing, Facing the observer, head level, eyes forward, lower limbs parallel, feet flat on the floor, forward facing, upper limbs, hands at the side, and palms facing forward
Prone
Laying face down (on stomach)
Supine
Laying face up (on back)
Superior, Cephalic, or cranial
Towards Head
Inferior, Caudal
Away from head
Anterior, Ventral
Nearer to the front of the body
Posterior, Dorsal
Nearer to the back of the body
Medial
nearer to the midline
Lateral
farther from the midline
Intermediate
between two structures
Ipsilateral
on the same side of the body
Contralateral
on the opposite side of the body
Proximal
nearer to the attachment of a limb
Distal
farther from the attachment of a limb
Superficial (external)
toward the surface of the body
Deep (internal)
away from the surface of the body
What are the branches of physiology
Neurophysiology, Immunology, Exercise Physiology, and Pathophysiology
