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Anatomy & Physiology I - Key Concepts and Structures

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Terms in this set (31)

  • Anatomical Position

    Body standing upright, facing forward, feet slightly apart, arms at sides, palms facing forward. Right and left refer to the patient's sides.

  • Directional Terms: Medial vs Lateral

    Medial: Toward the midline of the body.
    Lateral: Away from the midline of the body.

  • Directional Terms: Superior vs Inferior

    Superior (cranial): Toward the head or upper part.
    Inferior (caudal): Away from the head or toward the lower part.

  • Directional Terms: Proximal vs Distal

    Proximal: Closer to the origin of a body part.
    Distal: Farther from the origin of a body part.

  • Body Planes: Frontal, Sagittal, Transverse

    Frontal (coronal): Divides body into anterior/posterior.
    Sagittal: Divides body into left/right.
    Transverse: Divides body into superior/inferior.

  • Body Cavities and Abdominopelvic Quadrants

    Abdominopelvic quadrants: Right upper, left upper, right lower, left lower.
    Used to localize organs and pain.

  • Major Body Systems and Their Functions

    Examples: Cardiovascular (heart and vessels, transport), Respiratory (lungs, gas exchange), Muscular (movement), Nervous (control and communication).

  • Metric System Units

    Length: meter (m), Mass: gram (g), Volume: liter (L).
    Conversions based on powers of ten.

  • Brownian Motion

    Random movement of particles due to molecular collisions, increases with temperature.

  • Passive Transport Types

    Simple diffusion: Movement down concentration gradient.
    Facilitated diffusion: Movement via membrane proteins.
    Osmosis: Water movement across membrane toward higher solute concentration.

  • Tonicity Definitions

    Hypotonic: Lower solute concentration.
    Hypertonic: Higher solute concentration.
    Isotonic: Equal solute concentration.

  • Macromolecule Classes and Monomers

    Carbohydrates - monosaccharides, Proteins - amino acids, Lipids - fatty acids, Nucleic acids - nucleotides.

  • Microscope Total Magnification

    Total magnification = ocular lens magnification (10X) × objective lens magnification.

  • Cell Structure: Plasma Membrane

    Selective barrier surrounding the cell, controls entry and exit of substances.

  • Cell Structure: Nucleus

    Control center containing DNA, includes nucleolus and nuclear pores.

  • Basic Cell Shapes

    Squamous (flat), Cuboidal (cube-shaped), Columnar (tall), Spheroid, Discoid, Stellate, Fusiform, Polygonal, Fibrous.

  • Epithelial Tissue Classification

    By layers: Simple (one layer), Stratified (multiple layers), Pseudostratified (appears layered but one layer).
    By shape: Squamous, Cuboidal, Columnar.

  • Connective Tissue Proper Types

    Loose (areolar, adipose, reticular) and Dense (regular, irregular, elastic).

  • Bone Shapes

    Long (longer than wide), Short (cube-shaped), Flat (thin and flat), Irregular (complex shapes).

  • Osteon Structure

    Basic unit of compact bone: central canal, concentric lamellae, osteocytes in lacunae, canaliculi.

  • Muscle Tissue Types

    Skeletal (voluntary, striated), Cardiac (involuntary, striated, branched), Smooth (involuntary, non-striated).

  • Major Skeletal Muscles

    Examples: Biceps brachii (flexes forearm), Triceps brachii (extends forearm), Deltoid (abducts arm), Rectus femoris (extends leg).

  • Nervous Tissue Components

    Neurons (conduct impulses), Supporting cells (glial cells) protect and support neurons.

  • Brain Major Regions

    Cerebrum, Diencephalon (thalamus, hypothalamus), Brainstem (midbrain, pons, medulla), Cerebellum.

  • Cranial Nerves

    12 pairs with sensory and motor functions, e.g., I Olfactory (smell), II Optic (vision), X Vagus (visceral control).

  • Spinal Cord Structure

    Gray matter (neuronal bodies), white matter (axons), meninges (pia, arachnoid, dura mater), spinal nerves exit at vertebral levels.

  • Reflex Arc Components

    Receptor, sensory neuron, integration center, motor neuron, effector.

  • Patellar Reflex Test

    Tests femoral nerve conduction by tapping patellar ligament causing leg extension.

  • Pupillary Light Reflex

    Pupil constricts in response to bright light; abnormal responses may indicate neurological issues.

  • Two-Point Discrimination Test

    Measures skin sensitivity by determining minimum distance to perceive two points.

  • Visual Acuity Test

    Measures sharpness of vision using Snellen chart; normal vision is 20/20.