Unit 3 Lesson 2: Structure of the Body: Form Flashcards
What is anatomy
Anatomy is the study of the structure of the body, from the microscopic parts to the parts you can see and touch.
What is physiology
Physiology is the study of the chemistry and physics of the structure of the body and how these processes work together to form a living organism.
An important part of health science is learning these two essential sciences of the human body:
anatomy and physiology.
What is a hierarchy in terms of our body
From the tiniest particles to full body systems, the structures of your body form a hierarchy or system that ranks items according to specific criteria.
Our hierarchy can be compared to a
ladder
What are atoms
. Our bodies are composed of atoms, which are the smallest unit of matter, and they form the bottom rung of our ladder.
Ninety-nine percent of the human body is composed of just six types of atoms; what are these atoms
oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorous.
Five other elements form a little less than 1 percent of the body’s matter:
potassium, sulfur, sodium, chlorine, and magnesium.
What are trace elements
The rest are what we call trace elements—only a very tiny amount of each one is found in the body
What are molecules
Atoms that are chemically bound together are called molecules.
What are some kinds of molecules
Types of molecules in the body include water, protein, fats, and so on.
Our next step up the ladder is the cellular level, elaborate
the cellular level, where many molecules together form the smallest unit of living matter called a cell.
What is a cell
A cell is both a structure and a functional unit, meaning that the parts work together chemically and physically.
What is the role of the cell membrane
cell membrane, you can think of this like the “skin” of the cell
What is the role of the cytoplasm
cytoplasm, a semifluid material inside the cell that surrounds all the other parts
What is the role of the nucleus
nucleus, it controls the activity of the cell and is the “brain” of the cell
What is the role of the mitochondria
mitochondria, it produces energy for the cell processes
What is the role of the lysosomes
lysosomes, these digest molecules
What is the role of the ribosomes
ribosomes, structures that make protein
What is the role of the endoplasmic reticulum
endoplasmic reticulum, it makes fats, hormones, and some carbohydrates
What are tissues
These cells are what make up the tissues of our bodies, or distinct types of material of which animals or plants are made. Tissues are another rung up the ladder.
There are four main types of tissue in the human body:
- Epithelial tissue
- Connective tissue
- Muscle tissue
- Nervous tissue
What is the Epithelial tissue
membrane or skin that covers the outside of the body and the surfaces of organs within the body
What is the connective tissue
binds together, supports, and protects the parts of the body
What does muscle tissue mean?
responds to stimulation and can contract
What does nervous tissue mean?
acts as a pathway to allow communication between different regions of the body
Tissues work together to form the next level on our hierarchy of the body’s structure:
organs
What is the organ
An organ is a structure made of two or more types of tissue that perform a specific function in the body.
What do organs include
Organs include the heart, lungs, liver, brain, bladder, stomach, kidneys, and so on.
One more step up, and we have organ systems. What are the organ systems
These are groups of organs working together to complete a job.
Describe the digestive system
Think of the digestive system, which includes the mouth, stomach, large and small intestines, and numerous other organs; they all work together to digest the food you eat and, consequently, provide energy and nutrients to your body.
And finally, the top rung of our structural ladder is the whole organism. Elaborate
The entire body as a unified organism is composed of all these structural levels, with tiny atoms forming molecules, molecules working together to make cells, cells functioning together in tissues, tissues cooperating to form organs, and organs working together in systems to do the jobs within the body. All these systems cooperate, from the tiny to the large, working together to form the structure of a living body. B
