Week 1 - What is Life? Flashcards
Define anatomy.
Investigates the STRUCTURE of body parts and how they relate to each other
Define physiology.
Study of the function of living things
What are the 4 levels of anatomy?
1) gross (macroscopic): structures examined without the aid of a microscope
a) systemic: body studied system by system
b) regional: body studied area by area
2) surface: external form of the body and its relation to deeper structures
3) microscopic: structures examined with the aid of a microscope
4) developmental: structural changes that occur in the body through the life span
What are some levels of physiology?
molecular, cellular, systemic, neurophysiology, renal, cardiovascular, pulmonary
What are the 6 levels of organisation in the human body?
Chemical level, cellular level, tissue level, organ level, organ system level, organism
Give an example of chemical level.
atoms (C, H, O, N etc) which make up molecules (DNA, RNA, water, sugar)
Give an example of cellular level.
Molecules (RNA, DNA) which combine to form organelles (nucleus, mitochondria)
Give an example of tissue level.
Cells (smooth muscle cells) combining to form a tissue (smooth muscle tissue)
Give an example of organ level.
Tissues (smooth muscle tissue) to organs (urinary bladder)
Give an example of organ system level.
One or more organs (kidneys, ureters, bladder) to make up a system (urinary system)
What are the 6 characteristics of an organism? Elaborate on each
1) ORGANISATION: relationships amongst parts of an organism and how the parts interact to perform specific functions
2) METABOLISM: chemical reactions
3) RESPONSIVENESS: organism’s ability to sense changes in its environment and adjust to changes
4) GROWTH: increase in size/number of cells
5) DEVELOPMENT: changes an organism undergoes through time
6) REPRODUCTION: formation of new cells or new organisms
Define homeostasis.
The existence and maintenance of a relatively constant internal environment despite changes to the outside environment.
What are some examples of homeostatic mechanisms?
sweating, shivering, uptake of glucose into cells
What is the anatomical position and why is it important?
Face forward, palms forward, arms hanging by their sides. It is important because it provides a point of reference
What is supine?
lying face up
What is prone?
lying face down
What is superior? Give an example.
towards the head. The head is superior to the neck
What is inferior? Give an example.
towards the hail. The pelvis is inferior to the diaphragm
What is anterior? Give an example.
towards the front. The nose is anterior to the ears
What is posterior? Give an example.
towards the back. The ankles are posterior to the toes
What is proximal? Give an example.
nearest compared to the point of attachment. The elbow is proximal to the wrist.
What is distal? Given an example.
distant compared to the point of attachment. The fingers are distal to the wrist.
What is medial? Give an example.
towards the midline of the body. The nose is medial to the eyes.
What is lateral? Give an example.
Away from the midline of the body. The ears are lateral to the hips.
What is superficial? Give an example.
close to the surface of. The epidermis is superficial to the dermis.
What is deep? Give an example.
towards the interior of. The bone is deep to the adipose tissue.
What is the sagittal plane?
divides body into left and right sections
What is the frontal plane?
divides body into anterior and superior sections
What is the transverse plane?
divides body into superior and inferior sections
What is the oblique plane?
does not run parallel to the frontal or transverse planes
What is the thoracic cavity?
top cavity, contains mediastinum, lungs, heart etc. Separated by diaphragm from the abdominal cavity.
What is the abdominal cavity?
middle cavity of the body
What is the pelvic cavity?
lower cavity of the body
List the quadrants of the abdomen.
right upper, left upper, right lower, left lower
List the regions of the abdomen.
top: right hypochondriac, epigastric region, left hypocondriac
middle: right lumbar, umbilical, left lumbar
lower: right illac, hypogastric, left illac
Is left and right from the point of view of the subject or person examining them?
point of view of the subject
What are serous membranes?
line the cavities in the trunk of the body and cover the organs within these cavities
What is the difference between the parietal layer and visceral layer?
PARIETAL layer lines the TRUNK CAVITY
VISCERAL layer lines the ORGANS
What is serous fluid, where is it produced and what is its purpose?
produced by the membrane, it fills the cavity between the two layers and acts as a lubricant between the organ and body wall
What is the pericardium? What fluid is found here?
Serous membrane of the heart. Pericardial fluid
What is the pleura? What fluid is found here?
Serous membrane of the lungs and thoracic cavity. Pleural fluid
What is the peritoneum? What fluid is found here?
Serous membrane of the abdominopelvic cavity. Periontial fluid
What is the area that separates the left and right sides of the thoracic cavity called?
Mediastinum
What does the mediastinum contain?
Esophagus, trachea, blood vessels, thymus, heart
What are the three cavities of the body?
Thoracic, abdominal, pelvis
What structures enclose each cavity and what organs are found in each of the abdominal and pelvic cavities?
Abdominal: enclosed anteriorly by abdominal muscles. Contains the stomach, intestines, liver, pancreas, spleen and kidneys
Pelvic: enclosed by pelvis bones. Contains urinary bladder, parts of the large intestines and internal reproductive organs
Cortex
Outer (peripheral) part of an organ
Medulla
The inner (middle) part of an organ
What is the difference between a major and minor homeostatic disturbances? Give an example for each.
Minor - can cause fluctuations but the body can counteract the changes to restore homeostasis, eg minor temp or BP changes
Major - can be fatal, external intervention is required to restore homeostasis, eg large change in BP, severe bacterial infection
