WEEK 1 What is life? Flashcards
- Define the terms ‘anatomy’ and ‘physiology’.
Anatomy is the scientific study specialising in the way an organism is structured.
Physiology is the scientific study specialising in how an organism functions.
Describe the different levels of anatomy and physiology.
Gross anatomy refers to the body parts and functions that are seen without use of a microscope. These include systemic anatomy, regional anatomy, surface anatomy
Systematic anatomy refers to the bodies systems such as the muscular system, skeletal system, endocrine system, nervous system, Cardiovascular system and integumentary system.
Regional anatomy refers to the broader areas of the body such as limbs, knee, torso.
Surface anatomy refers to the way the body on the surface, relates to areas of the body internally
Microscopic anatomy refers to structures of the body observable only through a microscope. These include the study of Cytology (cells), Histology (tissues)
Developmental anatomy refers to the study of the development of structures of the body over a life time, from fertilisation to death.
There are many Levels of Physiology, some examples are:
Molecular physiology: this is the study of the processes and interactions of molecules within a cell, eg protein behaviour within the cell
Cellular physiology: the study of processes occurring within a cell eg energy or waste production
Systemic physiology: the study of how different systems function eg nervous system (Neurophysiology), cardiovascular (Cardiology), etc.
Describe the six levels of organisation in the body.
Chemical level: The chemical level of organisation in the body refers to how atoms in the body (such as hydrogen and carbon) interact and combine to create molecules (eg DNA, RNA, sugar, water)
Cellular level: The cellular level of organisation in the body refers to how molecules (DNA, RNA, sugar, water) interact and combine to form organelles (nucleus, mitochondrion) which create the cell
Tissue level: The tissue level of organisation in the body refers to how smooth muscle cells combining to form a tissue type (eg smooth muscle tissue)
Organ level: The organ level of organisation in the body refers to how two or more tissue types combine to create an organ
Organ system level: The organ system level of organisation in the body refers to how two or more organs combine to create a functioning organ system.
Organism level: The Organism level refers to anything living that is considered whole and functioning.
List the six characteristics of living organisms.
Organisation - the parts of a whole which operate in a manner that is organised to create function Metabolism - the ability to produce and use energy to create function
Responsiveness - the ability for the organism to adapt or change according to changes in their environment
Growth - the ability to increase in size or number of cells creating enlargement of the organism either as a whole or parts
Development - often involves same characteristics of living organism growth but also refers to changes in cell structure and function, tissue shaping and growth and organ function
Reproduction – The ability for an organism to create new cess and organisms
- Define ‘homeostasis’.
Homeostasis is the internal body maintaining a sustained environment, eg heart beat, blood pressure, body temperature, oxygen, glucose
List the characteristics of the anatomical position.
-Erect person
-Face directed forwards
-Upper limbs hanging by side; palms forward
-Lower limbs straight
Other positions are Supine – Lying face up, Prone- Lying face down
Use appropriate anatomical terminology to describe directional terms, body planes, and location of body parts and anatomical relations.
Superior –above or towards the head, ie the chin is superior to the navel
Inferior –below or towards the feet, ie the navel is superior to the chin
Anterior –in front of or towards the front, ie the abdomen is anterior to the spine
Posterior –towards the back or behind, ie the spine is posterior to the heart
Proximal –close to, eg the elbow is proximal to the wrist
Distal - far from eg the heel is distal to the knee
*Proximal and distal refers to limbs in relation to connection to torso, ie the hips are proximal the feet are distal
Medial – towards the mid-line, ie the breastbone is medial to the shoulders
Lateral – away from the mid-line, ie the shoulder is lateral to the collar bone
Superficial – towards the surface, are the structures that are close to the surface, ie the epidermis is superficial to the bone
Deep – towards the interior, ie. The muscle is deep to the dermis
BODY PLANES – devides the body so that we can see inside the body
Sagittal plane – separates the body into right and left planes
Frontal plane – divides the anterior and posterior
Transverse plane – divides body into superior and inferior
Oblique plane – doesn’t make right angle intersections
Describe the major body cavities and their divisions
Thoracic cavity – Superior to other cavities. Contains the mediastinum which is medial to the lungs. Houses heart and its vessels, trachea, oesophagus
Abdominal cavity – Inferior to the thoracic cavity and diaphragm. Contains most of the digestive organs
Pelvic cavity – Inferior to the abdominal cavity and thoracic cavity. Contains urinary tract, rectum, reproductive organs. Not a clear boundary between abdominal and pelvic, sometimes called abdomino-pelvic.
Describe the properties of serous membranes.
Serous membranes are 2 membranes that line the surface of our body cavities and organs. The Parietal serous membrane lines the cavity, the visceral serous membrane lines the internal organs. The membranes separated by a lubricant produced by the membranes called serous fluid - these aid in friction reduction of the organs
Describe the location and function of serous membranes.
Serous membranes are located around the surface of our body cavities and organs and aid in reducing friction caused by the close proximity of the organs.
Pericardial cavity has parietal and visceral pericardium, with Pericardial fluid. Pericardial cavity contains heart.
Pleural cavity has parietal and visceral Pleura, with Pleural fluid. Pleural cavity contains lungs and ribs
Peritoneal cavity has parietal and visceral Peritoneum, with Peritoneal fluid. Peritoneum cavity lines the abdominal cavity
What is the purpose of the anatomical position?
Provides a standard point of reference when studying the human body
What characteristics are used to assess whether something is alive or not?
Organisation - the parts of a whole which operate in a manner that is organised to create function Metabolism - the ability to produce and use energy to create function
Responsiveness - the ability for the organism to adapt or change according to changes in their environment
Growth - the ability to increase in size or number of cells creating enlargement of the organism either as a whole or parts
Development - often involves same characteristics of living organism growth but also refers to changes in cell structure and function, tissue shaping and growth and organ function
Reproduction – The ability for an organism to create new cess and organisms
What are the six levels of organisation of the human body and give examples of each
Chemical level: DNA, RNA, sugar, water
Cellular level: Red blood cells, muscle cells, tissue cells
Tissue level: Smooth muscle tissue, epithelium, connective, nervous
Organ level: heart, lungs, liver
Organ system level: bladder
Organism level: Human
Anatomical directional terms for the body – use each one in a sentence.
Superior – The liver is Superior to the urinary bladder
Inferior – The small intestine is inferior to the heart
Anterior – The sternum is Anterior to the heart
Posterior - The spine is Posterior to the lungs
Medial – The heart is medial to the lungs
Lateral – The hip bone is Lateral to the bladder
Proximal – The knee is Proximal to the foot
Distal – The foot is Distal to the knee
What are the three planes in which the body or organs can be divided?
Sagittal plane – separates the body into right and left planes
Frontal plane – divides the anterior and posterior
Transverse plane – divides body into superior and inferior
