Overview of the Body Flashcards
Anatomic Reference Systems
Terms used to describe the location of body planes, directions, and cavities (Body planes, Body directions, Body cavities, Structural units)
Structures of the Body
The cells, tissues, and glands that for the body systems that work together to enable the body to function properly
Genetics
The genetic components that transfer characteristics from parents to their children
Tissues
A group of similarly specialized cells that work together to perform specific functions
Glands
A group os specialized cells that is capable of producing secretions
Body Systems and Related Organs
Organs are somewhat independent parts of the body that perform specific functions. Organs with related functions are organized into body systems
Pathology
The study of nature and cause of disease that involve changes in structure and function
aden/o
gland
adip/o
fat
anter/o
before, front
caud/o
lower part of body, tail
cephal/o
head
cyt/o, -cyte
cell
end-, endo-
in, within, inside
exo-
out of, outside, away from
hist/o, histi/o
tissue
-ologist
specialist
-ology
the science of or study of
path/o, pathy
disease, suffering, feeling, emotion
plas/i, plas/o, -plasia
development, growth, formation
poster/o
behind, toward the back
-stasis, -static
control, maintenance of a constant level
Anatomy
study of the structures of the body
Physiology
study of the functions of the structures of the body
Anatomic position
describes body standing in standard position (body is erect and facing forward; holding arms at the sides with hands turned so palms face toward the front)
Body planes
imaginary vertical and horizontal lines used to divide the body into sections for descriptive purposes
Vertical plane
an up-and-down plane that is at a right angle to the horizon
Sagittal plane
vertical plane dividing the body into unequal left and right parts
Midsagittal plane, Midline
the sagittal plane that divides the body into equal left and right halves
Frontal plane (coronal plane)
divides the body into anterior (front) and posterior (back) positions
Horizontal Plane
a flat crosswise plane, such as the horizon
Transverse plane
horizontal plane that divides the body into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) parts
Ventral
refers to the front or belly side of the organ or body; opposite of dorsal
Dorsal
back of the organ or body
Anterior
situated in the front; the front or forward part of an organ
Posterior
situated in the back, the back part of an organ; opposite of anterior
Superior
uppermost, above or toward the head; opposite of inferior
Inferior
lowermost below or toward the feet
Cephalic
towards the head; opposite of caudal
Caudal
towards the lower part of the body
Proximal
situated nearest the midline or beginning of a body structure
Distal
situated farthest from midline or beginning of body structure; opposite of proximal
Medial
the direction toward, or nearer the midline
Lateral
the direction toward or nearer the side of the body, away from the midline
Bilateral
relating to, or having, two sides
Quadrants of the abdomen
helps describe location of organ/pain
RUQ
right upper quadrant
LUQ
left upper quadrant
RLQ
right lower quadrant
LLQ
left lower quadrant
Peritoneum
multilayered membrane that protects and holds organs in place in the abdominal cavity
Parietal peritoneum
outer layer of peritoneum; lines interior of abdominal wall
Mesentery
fused double layer of parietal peritoneum; attaches parts of intestine to interior abdominal wall
Visceral peritoneum
inner layer of peritoneum that surrounds organs in abdominal cavity
Retroperitoneal
behind the peritoneum
Body cavities
spaces within the body that contain and protect internal organs
Dorsal cavity
located along the back of the body and head, contains organs of the nervous system that coordinate body functions and is divided into 2 portions
Cranial cavity
located within the skull, surrounds and protects the brain
Spinal cavity
located within the spinal column, surrounds and protects the spinal cord
Ventral cavity
located along the front of the body, contains the body organs that sustain homeostasis
Homeostasis
process through which body maintains constant internal environment
Regions of the thorax and abdomen
divides abdomen and lower portion of thorax into nine parts
Right and left hypochondriac regions
covered by lower ribs
Epigastric region
above the stomach
Right and left lumbar regions
near the inward curve of the spine
Umbilical region
surrounds the umbilicus
Right and left iliac regions
located over the hip bones
Hypogastric region
below the stomach
Cells
basic structural and functional units of the body
Cytology
study of anatomy, physiology, pathology, and chemistry of cells
Cell membrane
tissue that surrounds and protects cells
Cytoplasm
material within the cell membrane that is not part of the nucleus
Nucleus
surrounded by nuclear membrane; controls cell activites and hleps cell divide
Stem cells
unspecialized cells able to renew themselves for long periods of time
Adult stem cells (comatic stem cells)
undifferentiated (unspecialized) cells found among differentiated cell; repair tissue
Embryonic stem cells
can form any adult cell; can proliferate indefinitely in the lab; comes from corb blood in umbilical cord and placenta; can be obtained from embryos produced by in vitro fertilization
Gene
fundamental physical and functional unit of heredity; controls hereditary disorders and physical traits
Genetics
study of transfer of genes and role of genes in health and disease
Dominant gene
offspring will inherit the charactersitic
Recessive gene
if inherited from both parents, offspring will have the condition; if inherited from one parent, offspring will only carry the trait (can be genetically transmitted)
Human genome
complete set of genetic information of humans; Human Genome Project completed in 2003; important step in genetics in health and science
Chromosomes
genetic structures in nuclei; contains DNA which makes genes
Somatic cell
all cells except gametes; 46 chromosomes in 22 identical pairs and a sex chromosome pair
Sex cell (gamete)
ovum or sperm; contains 23 single chromosomes
Sex chromosome
X or Y, XX - female, XY - male
DNA
deoxyribonucleic acid; basic structure is the same for all organisms; provides information for heredity, physical appearance, disease risks, and other traits; found in all nuclei except erythrocytes (lack nuclei); unique to each individual; can be used for identification
Double helix
two spiraling strands of DNA
Genetic mutation
change of the sequence of DNA
Somatic cell mutation
cannot be transmitted
Gametic cell mutation
can be transmitted genetically
Genetic engineering
manipulation of genes for scientific/medical purposes
Genetic disorder (hereditary disorder)
pathological condition caused by absent/defective gene
Cystic fibrosis
affects respiratory and digestive systems
Down syndrome
charcteristic facial appearance, learning disabilities, and physcial abnormalities
Hemophilia
missing blood-clotting factor, spontaneous hemorrhages or severe bleeding after an injury
Huntington’s disease
nerve degeneration resulting in uncontrolled movements and loss of mental abilities
Muscular dystrophy
progressive weakness and degeneration of skeletal muscles
Phenylketonuria (PKU)
enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase missing; can cause severe mental retardation
Tay-Sachs disease
fatal; fatty substance buildup in tissues and nerve cells; progressive blindness, paralysis, and early death
Tissues
groups or layer of similarly specialized cells that perform specific functions
Histology
study of the structure, composition, and functions of tissues
Epithelial tissues
forms protective covering for internal and external surfaces of the body, also forms glands
Epithelium
forms epidermis of skin and surface layer of mucous membranes
Endothelium
lines blood and lymph vessels, body cavities, glands, and organs
Connective tissues
supports and connects organs and other body tissues
Dense connective tissues
includes bone and cartilage; forms joints and framework of the body
Adipose tissue (fat)
protective padding, insulation, support
Loose connective tissue
surrounds various organs and supports nerve cells and blood vessels
Liquid connective tissues
(blood and lymph) transports nutrients and waste products
Muscle tissue
contains cells that can contract and relax
Nerve tissue
contains cells that react to stimuli and conduct electrical impulses
Pathology of tissue formation
disorders of tissues; causes often unknown; can appear throughout lifespan
Aplasia
defective development or congenital absence of an organ or tissue
Hypoplasia
incomplete development of an organ or tissue; usually caused by deficency in cell count
Anaplasia
change in structure of cells and their orientation to each other; characteristic of tumor formation in cancers
Dysplasia
abnormal development or growth of cells, tissue, or organs
Hyperplasia
enlargement of an organ or tissue; caused by increase in number of cells in the tissues
Hypertrophy
general increase in bulk of body part or organ due to increase in size but not number of cells; not due to tumor formation
Gland
group of epithelial cells capable of producing secretions
Secretion
substance produced by a gland
Exocrine glands
secrete chemical substances into ducts leading to other organs or out of the body (ex. sweat glands)
Endocrine glands
produces and secretes hormones directly into bloodstream for transport throughout the body; ductless
Adenitis
inflammation of a gland
Adenocarcinoma
malignant tumor originating from glandular tissue
Adenoma
benign tumor arising in or resembling glandular tissue
Adenomalacia
abnormal softening of a gland
Adenosis
any disease or condition of a gland
Adenosclerosis
abnormal hardening of a gland
Adenectomy
surgical removal of a gland
Organ
somewhat independent part of the body that performs a specific function; organized into body systems
Body systems
related tissues and organs that are organized with specialized functions
Pathology
study of disease (nature, cause, and changes in structure and function); also refers to condition produced by disease
Pathologist
specializes in laboratory analysis of tissue samples to confirm or establish in diagnosis; tissue samples from biopsies, operations, or postmortem examinations
Etiology
study of the causes of diseases
Pathogen
disease-producing microorganism (ex. virus)
Transmission
spread of a disease
Contamination
possible presence of a pathogen (caused by poor hygiene or lack of appropriate infection control)
Indirect contact transmission
transmitted by contact with a contaminated surface
Bloodborne transmission
transmitted via contact with blood or bodily fluids contaminated with blood (ex. HIV, HBV, most STDs)
Airborn transmission
transmitted via contact with contaminated respiratory droplets spread by cough/sneeze (ex. tuberculosis, flu, colds, measles)
Food-borne and waterborne transmission (fecal-oral)
transmitted by eating or drinking improperly treated contaminated food or water
Vector-borne transmission
transmitted via vector bites
Vector
animals (ex. mosquitoes, flies, mites, fleas, ticks, rats, dogs) capable of transmitting disease
Epidemiologist
specialize in study of outbreaks of disease
Endemic
ongoing presence of disease within a population/area
Epidemic
sudden, widespread outbreak of disease within a population/area
Pandemic
outbreak of disease occuring over a large geographic area
Functional disorder
produces symptoms with no apparent cause
Iatrogenic illness
unfavorable response to prescibed medical treatment
Idiopathic disorder
illness without known cause
Infectious disease
illness caused by living pathogenic organisms
Nosocomial infection
disease acquired in hospital or clinical setting
Organic disorder
produces symptoms caused by detectable physical changes in the body
Congenital disorders
abnormal condition that exists at birth
Developmental disorders (birth defects)
anomaly or malformation
Atresia
congenital absence of a normal body opening or failure of a structure to be tubular
Prenatal influences
mother’s health, behavior, and prenatal medical care
Rubella
infection that can be passed down genetically
Fetal alcohol syndrome
caused by mother’s consumption of alcohol during pregnancy
Premature birth
birth earlier than 37 weeks of development; causes serious health problems
Birth injuries
congenital disorders not present beofre events surrounding the time of birth
Cerebral palsy
can be caused by premature birth or inadequate oxygen to the brain during birth
Aging
normal progression of life cycle that eventually ends in death; older individuals are increasingly at higher risk of developing chronic and/or fatal health problems; as average lifespan increases, a larger proportion of the population are affected by disorders relating to aging
Geriatrics/gerontology
study of medical problems and care of older people
Postmortem
after death
Autopsy
postmortem examination
General practitioner (GP)
family practice physician; procides ongoing care for patients of all ages
Internist
specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases and disorders of the internal organs and related body systems
Pediatrician
specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases and disorders of the internal organs and related body systems
Periatrics
the specialty of diagnosing, terating, and preventing disorders of infants and children
Geriatrician/gerontologist
specializes in the care of older people
Hospitalist
general medical care of hospitalized patients
A & P
anatomy and physiology
CD
communicable disease
CH, chr
chromosome
DNA
deoxyribonucleic acid
epid
epidemic
GP
general practitioner
HD
Huntington’s disease
PKU
phenylketonuria
