Module 1: Basic Principles Flashcards
Physiology (formal definition vs operational definition)
Formal: The biological study of the FUNCTIONS of living organisms and their parts
Operational: The study of how cells interact with their “environment” to obtains the things required for life
Vital Substances
The things required for life
–> Water, salts, oxygen, nutrients, heat, etc.
Vital substances are obtained through…
Exchange between internal and external environments (at the organ, organismal, and cellular level)
Exchange System
Any system that allows for the exchange of material from the external and internal environments
4 major levels of organization
1) Cell
2) Tissue
3) Organ
4) System
Cellular Level (+ major cell types)
Cell = The basic structural and functional unit of life
4 general cell types:
1) Epithelial
2) Nerve
3) Muscle
4) Connective Tissue Cells
Epithelial Cells
Cells that cover/line the inside and outside of a body
Nerve Cells
Cells that are specialized for communication
Muscle Cells
Cells specialized for contraction
Connective Tissue Cells
Cells that provide structural strength and immune function
Tissue Level
Tissue = A collection of cells (with common structure and function) that work together to achieve a common purpose
Organ Level
Group/organization of different tissues to perform/carry out specific related functions
System Level
Several organs that work together to perform a certain task (major body functions)
Basic Principles of Life (5)
1) All life is aquatic
2) All life is compartmentalized
3) All life deals with the same fundamental problems
4) All life is constrained by the laws of physics and chemistry
5) All life can tolerate a limited range of conditions
“All life is aquatic” meaning
All life is water-based
Body fluids of all animals have the same general composition:
1) WATER
2) Salts
3) Biochemical substances
All life is aquatic BECAUSE…
All life evolved from aquatic organisms –> They evolved to “take the sea with them” (by creating an aquatic INTERNAL environment)
Water is ______ % of all human body molecules and _____ % of human body weight
Water =
1) 75% of human body weight
2) 99% of all human molecules
Salts make up ___% of molecules in a human body
~0.75%
Biochemical substances make up ________% of molecules in a human body
~0.25%
Compartmentation
The division of space (of the body or cell) into separate compartments so that functions + substances can be isolated
Advantages of Compartmentation
1) Compartments separate biochemical processes that might otherwise conflict with each other
2) Allows for contents of adjacent compartments to differ (differentiation of cells + bodily functions)
Disadvantage of Compartmentation
Barriers between compartments can make it difficult to move/exchange needed materials from one compartment to another
Lumen
The interior/cavity of a HOLLOW organ
(Ex: Heart, lungs, intestines)
The lumen is an extension of the…
What is the analogy for this?
EXTERNAL Environment (in some organs)
Like a hole through a bead –> The hole isn’t INSIDE of the bead, it is merely passing through it
Material in the lumen/s is NOT a part of __________ until ____________
Material in the lumen is not part of the body’s internal environment until it crosses the wall of the organ
3 functional fluid compartments:
1) Intracellular fluid
2) Extracellular fluid
a) Plasma
b) Interstitial fluid
ECF
Extracellular Fluid
Extracellular Fluid
The fluid outside of the cells (the external environment of the cell)
–> (the internal environment of the body)
“A sea within”
(Extra = Outside of)