Lecture 1: Introduction to A&P Flashcards
anatomy
the study of internal and external body structures and their physical relationships among other body parts
physiology
the study of how living organisms perform their vital functions
how are anatomy and physiology interlinked
anatomical information provides clues about functions and physiological processes can be explained only in terms of the underlying anatomy
the principle of complementarity of structure and function
all specific functions are performed by specific structures, and the form of a structure relates to its function
gross anatomy (macroscopic anatomy)
examining fairly large structures without using a microscope
what are the 6 types of gross anatomy
surface
regional
sectional
systemic
clinical
developmental
surface anatomy (superficial anatomy)
study of the general form of the body’s surface
regional anatomy
focus on the anatomical organisation of specific body areas e.g head, neck and trunk
sectional anatomy
the study of the relationship of the body’s structures by examining cross sections of the tissue or organ
systemic anatomy
study of the structure of organ systems e.g skeletal system, muscular system and cardiovascular system
clinical anatomy
several subspecialties important in clinical practice
examples of clinical anatomy
pathological anatomy (anatomical features that change during illness)
radiographic anatomy (anatomical structures seen using specialised imaging techniques )
surgical anatomy (anatomical landmarks important in surgery)
developmental anatomy
the changes in form that take place from fertilisation through adulthood
microscopic anatomy
structures that we can’t see without magnification
what are the two subdivisions of microscopic anatomy
cytology and histology
cytology
the study of the internal structure of individual cells
histology
examinations of tissues
human physiology
study of the functions or workings of the human body
cell physiology
study of the functions of cells
-the chemistry of the cell
organ physiology
study of the function of specific organs e.g cardiac physiology
systemic physiology
all aspects of the functioning of specific organ systems e.g cardiovascular physiology, respiratory physiology and reproductive physiology
pathological physiology
the effects of diseases on organ functions or system functions
the scientific method
a system of advancing knowledge that begins with careful observation and then testing that hypothesis through experimentation
what are the 6 levels of organisation of the human body
chemical level
cellular level
tissue level
organ level
organ system level
organism level
chemical level of organisation
atoms- smallest stable units of matter that combine to form molecules
cellular level of organisation
cells- smallest living units in the body
tissue level of organisation
tissues- group of cells working together to perform one or more specific functions
organ level of organisation
organs- two or more tissues working together to perform specific functions
organ system level of organisation
group of organs interacting for a particular function
organism level of organisation
an individual life form
at the system level why does heart rate increase when we exercise?
- Increased sympathetic nerve activity – releasing noradrenaline
- Increased circulating adrenaline
at the organ level, why does heart rate increase when we exercise
Heart rate is controlled by impulses generated by pacemaker cells at the sinoatrial (SA) node
how is the heart kept in rhythm by the SAN?
The SAN spontaneously fires to keep the heart in rhythm in the ANS without external input but this can be modified
what affect does noradrenaline have on the depolarisation rate
speeds depolarisation
how is the activity of the SAN observed
the SAN generates electrical currents which can be recorded
patch clamp technique
measures Ca current through individual ion channels
at the protein level, what is the effect of noradrenaline on receptors
noradrenaline raises cAMP and activates PKA
the interaction between noradrenaline and the B1 adrenergic receptor leads to…
activation of the secondary messenger
where does the interaction between noradrenaline and the B1 adrenergic receptor occur?
on the cardiac pacemaker cell
what causes the L-type Ca channel to open
phosphorylation of the L-type Ca channel by PKA (migrates and binds to calcium channel when activated)
why is knowing the structure of ion channels important?
useful for designing specific drugs to target specific aspects of the channel function
beta blockers
slow the heart for people with high blood pressure
activators of L-type Ca channels
used to treat hypertension and angina
functional genomics
the link between system/organ function and individual genes
what approach is used in functional genomics
reductionist approach: system -> organ -> cell -> protein -> gene
