Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology

Anatomy:                   A.       Anatomy deals with the structure of the body and its parts.

Physiology:                  B.       Physiology studies the functions of these parts.

Levels of Organization:

        Atom→Molecule→Macromolecule→Organelles→ Cell → Tissue→Organs→Organ System→Organism

 Characteristics of Life:  

                                    Fundamental characteristics of life are traits shared by all organisms.

                        Characteristics of life include: - List 10 characteristics

1. Movement        
2. Responsiveness
3. Growth
4. Reproduction
5. Respiration
6. Digestion
7. Absorption
8. Circulation
9. Assimilation
10. Excretion

                                   Taken together, these 10 characteristics constitute Metabolism.

 Maintenance of Life: 

        A.        Requirements of Organisms

                1.        Life depends on the availability of the following:

                                   Water, Food, Oxygen, Heat, and Pressure

                2.        Both the quality and quantity of these factors are important.

        B.        Maintenance of a stable internal environment is called Homeostasis 

Anatomical Terminology: head ________, forehead_____, back of head_______, eye_____, ear______, neck______, armpit _____, Upper arm______________, lower arm_____________, front of elbow___________, elbow____________, fingers and toes___________, wrist___________, navel________, abdominal___________, sternum_____________, thigh_________________, groin____________, anterior front lower leg_______________, knee___________, back of knee___________, posterior lower leg______________, ankles______________, top of foot_____________, bottom  of foot________________,  between buttocks___________, buttocks__________, lower back______________, spine_________________.  

Confused about this part…

Describe Anatomical position: Body stands erect, face forward, upper limbs at side, and palms are forward.

Terms of relative position are used to describe the location of a part relative to another part. Be able to relate to locations in the human body  

        Superior:   Needs to be in reference to another part.  What does it mean?

The body part is above another part. (The thoracic cavity is superior to the abdominopelvic cavity)

        Inferior:  Opposite of superior, what does it mean?

A body part is below another body part. (The neck is inferior to the head)

        Anterior:  Means the same as ventral in humans.  Where does it refer?

Toward the front. (The eyes are anterior to the brain)

        Posterior   Means the same as dorsal in humans.  What is it referring to?

Toward the back. (The pharynx is posterior to the oral cavity)

        Medial refers to the imaginary midline dividing the body into equal right and left halves. A body part is medial if it is closer to midline than another part. (The nose is medial to the eyes)

        Lateral means towards the side, away from the midline. (The ears are lateral to the eyes)

        Proximal describes a body part that is closer to a point of attachment to the trunk than another body part. (The elbow is proximal to the wrist)

        Distal is the opposite of proximal.  It means that a particular body part is farther from a pint of attachment to the trunk than another body part. (The fingers are distal to the wrist)

        Superficial is situated near the surface. (The epidermis is the superficial layer of skin)

        Deep describes parts that are more internal than superficial parts. (The dermis is the deep layer of the skin)

Body sections:  

        Sagittal:  A sagittal section divides the body into right and left portions.

                  Mid-sagittal: centrally divides body into equal left and right portions.

        Transverse (horizontal, cross-sectional) A transverse section divides the body into superior and inferior portions.

            Frontal (coronal):  A coronal section divides the body into anterior and posterior sections.

Body Cavities:

The two major body cavities are the Ventral and the Dorsal cavities.

List the minor body cavities found in the head region:

• Oral, Nasal, Orbital, Synovial and Middle Ear Cavities

The Diaphragm divides the thoracic and abdominopelvic cavities.

Dorsal cavity:  cavity located towards the ________ of the body.  

Divided into the following: Cranial Cavity and Vertebral Cavity

Cranial cavity: - contains the Brain

Spinal cavity:  located inside the ________ _________ and contains the spinal cord

Ventral cavity:  located in the _______________ of the body.  Divided                                                                      into the following:

Thoracic cavity: - contains the heart and lungs Divided into the following:

Pleural cavities: - contain the ___________

Pleural membrane: lines the ___________ cavity

Pericardial cavity: - contains the ____________

Pericardium: lines the __________ cavity

Abdominopelvic cavity: abdominal cavity + pelvic cavity

Abdominal cavity: what does it contain? List the organs.

Stomach, liver, spleen, gallbladder, kidneys, and most of the small and large intestines

Peritoneum: lines the ________________ cavity

Pelvic cavity:  What does it contain? List the organs.

The terminal potion of the large intestine, the urinary bladder, and they internal reproductive organs.

Body Systems:  List general organs and functions of the following systems.

 Integumentary: include the skin and various accessory organs, such as the hair, nails, sweat glands, and sebaceous glands and sebaceous glands. These parts protect underlying tissues, help regulate body temperature, house a variety of sensory receptors, and synthesize certain products.

 Skeletal: Consists of bones, as well as ligaments and cartilages that bind bones together.

 Muscular: Muscles are the organs. By contacting and pulling their ends closer together muscles provide forces that move body parts. They also maintain posture and are the major source of body heat.

Nervous: Consists of the brain, the spinal cord, nerves, and sense organs.

Endocrine: Includes all the glands that secrete chemical messengers called hormones.  

Digestive: Receive foods from outside the body. They then break down food molecules into simpler forms thats can be passed through cell membranes and thereby be absorbed into the body.

Respiratory: Move air in and out the lungs and exchange gases between the blood and the air.

Circulatory: the system that circulates blood and lymph through the body, consisting of the heart, blood vessels, blood, lymph, and the lymphatic vessels and glands.

Lymphatic: the network of vessels through which lymph drains from the tissues into the blood.

Urinary: The urinary system, also known as the renal system, consists of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and the urethra. Each kidney consists of millions of functional units called nephrons.

Reproductive: The organs and glands in the body that aid in the production of new individuals.

In the male, sperm are produced in the testes and conveyed to the female in a fluid called semen, which passes out of the body through the penis. Other parts of the male reproductive system include the prostate gland, the scrotum, and the urethra.

In the female, the eggs, or ova are produced in the ovaries and released during ovulation into the fallopian tubes about halfway through the menstrual cycle. If fertilization occurs, the resulting zygote travels down the fallopian tube to the uterus, where it implants and continues development. If the ovum is not fertilized, it continues its journey toward the uterus, where it degenerates and is released in the menstrual flow through the vagina during menstruation.