The Human Body: An Orientation Flashcards
Define Anatomy
is the study of structure and shape of the body
and its parts and their relationships to one another.
Anatomy Subdivisions
Gross Anatomy
Microscopic Anatomy
Define Gross Anatomy
The study of large body structures that can be seen with the naked eye
Define Microscopic Anatomy
The study of small body structures (cells and tissues) that can only be seen through a microscope
Define physiology
The study of how the body and its parts work or function
Levels of structural organism
Chemical level (atoms ——> molecules)
Cellular level
Tissue level
Organ level
Organ system level
Organism level
Parts of the integumentary system
Skin, hair, and fingernails
Function of the integumentary system
• It cushions and protects deeper tissues from injury.
• Excretes salts in perspiration and helps regulate body temperature.
• Sensory receptors located in the skin detect mechanical, thermal, or nociceptive (painful) stimuli applied on the body surface.
• When skin is exposed to sunlight, it produces Vitamin D.
Parts of the skeletal system
Bones, cartilage, joints
Function of the skeletal system
▪ Protects and supports body organs
▪ Provides a framework that the skeletal muscles use to cause movement.
▪ Site for blood cells formation.
▪ Stores essential minerals (like calcium)
Muscular system parts
Skeletal muscles, smooth muscles, cardiac muscle
What are the skeletal muscles and their function
- Large muscles attached to the bones
- Their function is to contract, which cause body movements
What are the smooth muscles and their function
- Muscles of hollow organs (stomach, bladder, blood vessels, wall of intestines, etc.)
- Their function is to move fluids (blood or urine) or other substances (food)
What is the cardiac muscle and its function
- Muscle of the heart
- Its function is to contract the heart and pump the blood
What’s the body’s fast-acting control system?
The Nervous System
Parts of the nervous system
brain, spinal cord, nerves, and sensory receptors
Function of the nervous system
- It uses sensory receptors to monitor the internal and external changes of the body. The gathered information
is called sensory input. - It processes and interprets the sensory input and decides what should be done at each moment—a process called integration.
- It then, through motor output, causes a response by activating muscles or glands (effectors)
Parts of the cardiovascular system
Heart and blood vessels
Function of the cardiovascular system
▪ The heart pumps blood into blood vessels.
▪ Blood vessels deliver blood rich in oxygen, nutrients, hormones, and other substances to cells and pick up wastes such as carbon dioxide from cells.
▪ In blood; white blood cells and chemicals help to protect the body from bacteria, viruses, and tumor cells.
Parts of the lymphatic system
lymph nodes, lymphatic vessels & lymphoid organs (tonsils,
thymus, spleen, Peyer’s patches, and appendix)
Function of the lymphatic system
The lymphatic vessels
When fluid is leaked into tissues from the blood vessels;
lymphatic vessels return it to the bloodstream so that there is enough blood to continuously circulate through the body.
The lymphatic nodes and lymphoid organs
They cleanse the blood and are a place for white blood
cells that are involved in immunity
Parts of the respiratory system
nasal passages, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, lungs and alveoli
Function of the respiratory system
It keeps blood constantly supplied with oxygen and removes carbon dioxide
Parts of the digestive system
oral cavity, oesophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, rectum plus a number of accessory organs (salivary glands, liver, pancreas, etc.)
Function of the digestive system
Breaks down food and delivers the resulting nutrients to the blood for distribution to body cells.
Function of the stomach
produces enzymes and acidsto break down food so it can pass small intestine
Function of the pancreas
Delivers enzymes to the small intestine to break down food
Function of the liver
Produces bile to help in breaking down the fats
Function of the small intestine
helps to further break down food coming from the stomach.
It absorbs nutrients (vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates,
fats, proteins) and water from food so they can be used by
the body
Function of the large intestine
reabsorb excess water from materials it receives from the small intestine
Function of the anus
The undigested food that remains in the tract leaves the body through the anus as faeces.
Name an organ that has both endocrine and digestive function?
Pancreas
Parts of the urinary system
kidneys, ureters, bladder, urethra
Function of the urinary system
• Removes the nitrogen-containing wastes (urea and uric acid) from the blood and eliminates them from the
body in urine.
• It maintains the body’s water and salt (electrolyte) balance
• Regulates the acid-base balance of the blood
• Helps to regulate normal blood pressure
Function of the reproductive system
function of the reproductive system is the production of offspring
Parts of the male reproductive system
Testes, ducts and glands
Function of the testes
produce sperm and male sex hormone
Function of the ducts and the glands
aid in the delivery of viable sperm to the female reproductive tract.
Parts of the female reproductive system
Ovaries, fallopian tube, uterus, mammary glands
Function of the ovaries
produce eggs and female sex hormones
Function of the fallopian tube
site for fertilization
Function of the uterus
development of the fetus
Function of the mammary glands
produce milk to nourish the newborn
True or False
Each organ system works by itself to do its function
False
Organ systems do not work in isolation.
Functions that humans must perform to maintain life:
1 - Maintaining boundaries
2 - Movement
3 - Responsiveness to environmental changes (stimuli)
4 - Digestion
5 - Metabolism
6 - Excretion
7 - Reproduction
8 - Growth (Increase no. of cells / Increase in size)
The system involved in maintaining the boundaries
Integumentary system
What is meant by maintaining the boundaries
The internal environment remains distinct from the external environment of the body
Examples of maintaining the boundaries
It protects internal organs from drying out due to the effects of heat and sunlight and from entry of pathogens (such as bacteria and chemical substances).
The plasma membrane separates contents from the inside from the outside interstitial fluid (fluid between cells).
Selective entry of needed substances while generally preventing entry of damaging substances.
How are the boundaries maintained in the cell
semipermeable plasma membrane
How is the movement supported
Movement is supported by the skeletal muscles and the smooth muscles
Forms of movement
Movement from one place to another
Movement of urine through the urinary system
Food on peristalsis movement through the digestive tract
Movement of blood in blood vessels of a cardiovascular system
Define Responsiveness
The ability of our body to sense changes (stimuli) in the
internal or external environment and then to react to them (also called excitability)
The system involved in the “responsiveness”
Nervous system
Which organs are involved in internal and external response
Glands
Which organs are involved in external response?
Muscle
Define digestion
Digestion is the process of breaking down indigested food into simple molecules that can be absorbed into the blood
which system distributes the nutrient rich blood to the body cells?
The Cardiovascular System
What is Metabolism?
A broad term that refers to all chemical reactions that occur within body cells.
Forms/ examples of Metabolism
It includes:
• Breaking down complex substances into simpler building blocks (breakdown of glucose)
• Making larger structures from smaller ones (synthesis of glucagon)
• Using nutrients and oxygen to produce molecules of Adenosine TriPhosphate (ATP)
(the energy-rich molecules that power cellular activities).
Define Excretion
Excretion is the process of removing wastes (excreta) from the body
Organ systems that are included in the excretion
The digestive system excretes undigested food in faeces (stool).
The urinary system excretes nitrogen-containing metabolic wastes in urine.
The skin excretes different types of waste products in sweat.
In what levels does reproduction occur?
Cellular or organismal level
How does reproduction happen in the cellular level
Cellular – the original cell divides, producing two identical daughter cells that may then be used for body growth or tissue repair.
How does reproduction happen at the organismal level?
Organismal – Reproduction of the human organism is the task of the organs of the reproductive system, which produce sperm and eggs. When a sperm unites with an egg, a fertilized egg forms, which then develops into a baby within the mother’s body.
How is the function of the reproductive system regulated?
The function of the reproductive system is regulated by hormones of the endocrine system.
Define growth
Growth is an increase in size, usually accomplished by an increase in the number of cells.
The scientific term for growth means “constructive activities must occur at a faster rate than destructive activities”.
Which system is involved in the process of growth?
Hormones released by the endocrine system play a major role in directing growth.
(Growth hormone, thyroid hormone, insulin, androgens, and estrogens)
What are the survival needs needed to maintain life
Nutrients (food)
Oxygen
Water
Appropriate temperature
Appropriate atmospheric pressure
