Introduction to anatomy and physiology Flashcards
What is anatomy
the map of the body, names of regions and language used to describe the body
What is physiology
how the body works, regulates and fits together to achieve biological functions and homeostasis.
What is the anterior view
front with palms up
What is the posterior view
back
What is the supine position
body face up
palms down
What is the prone position
body face down
palms up
What is superior (cranial)
towards the head/upper part of the body
What is inferior (caudal)
away from the head (below)
What is medial
towards the midline of the body
(e.g. the heart is medial to the arm)
What is lateral
away from the midline of the body
What is intermediate
coming between two things
What is proximal
close to the origin of the body part
(e.g. upper arm)
What is distal
further from the origin of the body part
(e.g. forearm)
What is superficial
position closest to the skin
What is deep
position furthest from the skin
What are the three planes of the body (3)
- Sagittal plane - from top of head to bottom of pelvis.
- Frontal plane - the imaginary line separating the anterior from the posterior.
- Traverse plane - the imaginary line separating the top half of the body from the bottom
What are the two types of cavities (2)
- Dorsal cavity
- Ventral body cavity
What is included in the dorsal cavity (2)
- Cranial cavity
- Spinal cavity
What is included in the ventral cavity (4)
- Thoracic cavity - above diaphragm
- Abdominal cavity - below diaphragm
- Pelvic cavity
- Together these are known as the abdominopelvic cavity.
What is homeostasis (2)
- Physiological body processes to maintain a stable internal environment despite external changes.
- Changes to the homeostatic balance in organisms can result in disease
What is included in homeostatic control (3)
- Receptors - biological sensors, monitors and send signals from stimuli to the control centre
- Control centre - determines a level to be maintained, analyses the signals to see what action needs to be taken
- Effector - receives the instruction from the control centre via the efferent pathway and acts accordingly. The results of the action taken are feedback to influence the receptor.
