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Anatomy & Physiology Fundamentals

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Terms in this set (27)

  • What is anatomy?

    Anatomy is the study of the structures of the body, including their composition and location.

  • What is physiology?

    Physiology is the study of the functions of anatomical structures and how they work.

  • How are anatomy and physiology related?

    The relationship is fundamental: the structure of a body part determines its function, e.g., skeletal muscle fibers are long and striated to enable contraction and movement.

  • List the levels of organization in the human body from simplest to most complex.

    Chemical, Cellular, Tissue, Organ, Organ System, Organism levels.

  • What composes the chemical level of organization?

    Atoms and molecules that form the chemical foundation of the body.

  • What defines the cellular level?

    Cells, the smallest living units, composed of molecules.

  • What is the tissue level?

    Groups of similar cells working together to perform specific functions.

  • What characterizes the organ level?

    Structures composed of two or more tissue types working together.

  • What is an organ system?

    Groups of organs that perform related functions.

  • Name three major functions of the integumentary system.

    Protection, temperature regulation, and sensory information.

  • What are the main functions of the skeletal system?

    Support, protection, mineral storage, and blood cell formation.

  • What organs are part of the nervous system and its main function?

    Brain, spinal cord, nerves, sense organs; responsible for immediate response to stimuli and coordination.

  • What is the role of the cardiovascular system?

    Transport of nutrients, gases, wastes, and temperature regulation.

  • Define homeostasis.

    Maintenance of a stable internal environment despite external and internal changes.

  • What are the components of a homeostatic regulatory mechanism?

    Receptor (detects stimulus), Control Center (processes info), Effector (carries out response).

  • Explain negative feedback in homeostasis.

    The effector's response negates the stimulus to restore balance, e.g., body temperature regulation.

  • Explain positive feedback in homeostasis.

    The response amplifies the original stimulus, moving the body away from homeostasis temporarily, e.g., childbirth.

  • What is the anatomical position?

    Standard reference: standing upright, feet forward, arms at sides, palms facing forward.

  • Name the three main body planes used in sectional anatomy.

    Frontal (coronal), Sagittal, and Transverse (horizontal) planes.

  • What are the major body cavities in the trunk?

    Thoracic cavity (lungs, heart) and abdominopelvic cavity (digestive, reproductive organs).

  • What are serous membranes and their layers?

    Membranes lining body cavities and covering organs; parietal layer lines cavity, visceral layer covers organ.

  • What is the function of the lymphatic system?

    Defense against infection and fluid return to the bloodstream.

  • What directional terms describe 'toward the midline' and 'away from the midline'?

    Medial means toward the midline; Lateral means away from the midline.

  • What does 'proximal' and 'distal' mean in anatomy?

    Proximal is closer to the point of attachment; Distal is farther from it.

  • What is the difference between superficial and deep?

    Superficial means near the body surface; Deep means farther from the surface.

  • What is the significance of abdominopelvic quadrants?

    They divide the abdomen into four parts (RUQ, LUQ, RLQ, LLQ) to localize pain or disease.

  • What is an eponym in medical terminology?

    A name derived from a person, often replaced by descriptive terms, e.g., Achilles tendon is now calcaneal tendon.