ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY: BASICS

Outline:  Molecule’s structure determines its function

 Example: collagen is strong fiber which
 Anatomy and Physiology Basics
 Organization: Structural and Functional gives skin strength and flexibility.
 Life Characteristics
CELL LEVEL
 Homeostasis
 Terminologies  Cell: basic structural and functional units of
 Body Plans
organisms
 Organelles: combined molecules; small
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE structures that make up some cells.
HUMAN BODY
TISSUE LEVEL
 Study of the structure and function of the
 Tissue: group of similar cells and the
human body
materials surrounding them.
 Allows us to interact with our surroundings
 epithelial, connective, muscle, and nervous
by adjusting how the body responds to
changes in environmental information. ORGAN LEVEL
 Provides the basis for understanding
disease  Organ: composed of two or more tissue
types that together perform one or more
ANATOMY common functions
 Liver, stomach, heart, etc.
 Scientific discipline that investigates the
structure of the body. ORGAN SYSTEM LEVEL
 Anatomy: dissect, cut, or separate.
 Covers structure, body part, microscopic  a group of organs classified as a unit
organization, and processes. because of a common function or set of
 Examines the relationship between the functions
structure of a body part and its function  The coordinated activity of the organ
 Systemic anatomy: study of the body by systems is necessary for normal function
systems (e.g. cardiovascular system, ORGANISM LEVEL
digestive system, etc.)
 Regional anatomy: study of the  any living thing considered as a whole,
organization of the body by areas (head, whether composed of one cell, such as a
abdomen, or arm). bacterium, or of trillions of cells, such as a
 Two general ways to examine internal human
structures of human body: surface anatomy
LIFE CHARACTERISTICS
and anatomical imaging.
 Surface Anatomy: study of external 1. ORGANIZATION
features; serves as landmarks for locating  Specific relationship of the many
deeper structures. individual parts of an organism, from
 Anatomical Imaging: use of x-rays, cell organelles to organs, interacting
ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging and working together
(MRI), and other technologies to create  Living things are highly organized.
pictures of internal structures. 2. METABOLISM
PHYSIOLOGY  Ability to use energy to perform vital
functions, such as growth,
 scientific discipline that deals with the movement, and reproduction
processes or functions of living things. 3. RESPONSIVENESS
 Goals for studying physiology:  Ability of an organism to sense
o Understand and predict body changes in the environment and
responses. make the adjustments that help
o Understand how body maintains maintain its life
internal conditions in a changing 4. GROWTH
environment.  increase in size of all or part of the
organism
ORGANIZATION: STRUCTURAL AND
 increase in cell number, cell size,
FUNCTIONAL
and amount of substance
CHEMICAL LEVEL surrounding the cell.

 How atoms, such as hydrogen and carbon,

interact and combine into molecules
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5. DEVELOPMENT  Anatomical Positions: person standing
 Changes an organism undergoes upright with the face directed forward, the
through time upper limbs hanging to the sides, and the
 Greatest developmental changes palms of the hands facing forward
occur before birth, but many  Supine: lying face upward
changes continue after birth, and  Prone: lying face downward
some continue throughout life  The position of the body can affect the
 Growth + differentiation description of body parts relative to each
 Differentiation is change in cell other.
structure and function from
generalized to specialized.
6. REPRODUCTION
 Formation of new cells or new
organisms.
 Without this, new cell formation and
tissue repair is impossible.

HOMEOSTATIS
 Normal baseline of the human body
 Existence and maintenance of a relatively
constant environment within the body
despite fluctuations in either the external
environment or the internal environment.
DIRECTIONAL TERMS
 Homeostatic Mechanisms: sweating,
shivering, etc. Governed by nervous and  Describe parts of the body relative to each
endocrine system. other
 The body responses are within normal
range, homeostasis is maintained. TERM ETYMOLO DEFINITION
A. NEGATIVE-FEEDBACK MECHANISM GY
 Most of the body systems is Right Toward the right
maintained by this. side of the body
 “to decrease” Left Toward the left side
 When any deviation from the set of the body
point is made smaller or is resisted. Inferior Lower Below
 Example: decreases of body Superior Higher Above
temperature to normal range. Anterior To go before Toward the front of
 Three components of negative- the body
feedback mechanism: Posterior Following Toward the back of
o Receptor: monitors variable the body
o Control center: part of the Dorsal Dorsal; back Toward the back of
brain; determines set point the body
for the variable. Ventral Venter; belly Toward the belly
o Effector: change the value of Proximal Nearest Closer to point of
the variable when directed by attachment
the control center. Distal To be distant Farther to point of
B. POSITIVE-FEEDBACK MECHANISM attachment
 initial stimulus further stimulates the Lateral Side Away from the
response midline of the body
 positive means that the deviation from Medial Middle Toward the midline
the set point becomes even greater. of the body
 “increase” Superficial Surface Toward or on the
 This type is required to re-achieve surface
homeostasis Deep deep Away from the
 Example: birth; when the uterus surface; internal
increases its size to cater the baby’s
development.

TERMINOLOGIES
 Learning is easier and more interesting if
you pay attention to the origin, or etymology

BODY POSITIONS
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 BODY PARTS AND REGIONS
 Central region of the body
o Head
o Neck
o Trunk
 Thorax
 Abdomen
 Pelvis
 Upper limb
o Arm: from shoulder to elbow
PLANES
o Forearm: from elbow to wrist
o Wrist  Sectioning of the body to look inside and
o Hand observe the structures
 Lower limb A. SAGITTAL PLANE
o Thigh: hip to knee  Runs vertically through the body and
o Leg: knee to ankle separates it into right and left parts.
o Ankle B. MEDIAN PLANE
o Foot  sagittal plane that passes through
 Abdomen the midline of the body, dividing it
o Quadrants (4) into equal right and left halves.
1. Right-upper C. TRANSVERSE PLANE
2. Right-lower  runs parallel to the surface of the
3. Left-upper ground, dividing the body into
4. Left-lower superior and inferior parts
o Regions (9) D. FRONTAL PLANE
1. Epigastric  runs vertically from right to left and
2. Right hypochondriac divides the body into anterior and
3. Left hypochondriac posterior parts
4. Umbilical
BODY CAVITIES
5. Right lumbar
6. Left lumbar A. THORACIC CAVITY
7. Hypogastric  surrounded by the rib cage and is
8. Right iliac separated from the abdominal cavity
9. Left iliac by the muscular diaphragm.
 Divided into right and left parts by
mediastinum
i. Houses the heart, thymus,
trachea, esophagus, etc.
B. ABDOMINAL CAVITY
 bounded primarily by the abdominal
muscles and contains the stomach,
the intestines, the liver, the spleen,
the pancreas, and the kidneys.
C. PELVIC CAVITY
 small space enclosed by the bones
of the pelvis and contains the urinary
bladder, part of the large intestine,
and the internal reproductive organs

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 SEROUS MEMBRANES
 Serous membranes line the trunk cavities
and cover the organs of these cavities.
 Visceral serous membrane: covers
internal organs
 Parietal serous membrane: covers the
cavity wall
 The thoracic cavity contains three serous
membranes: 2 pericardial cavities and 1
pleural cavity
o Pericardial cavity: surrounds the
heart
 Visceral Pericardium:
covers the heart
 Parietal pericardium: forms
the outer layer of the sac
around the heart.
o Pleural cavity: surrounds each
lungs
 Lung is covered with
visceral pleura
 Parietal pleural lines the
inner surface of the thoracic
wall.
 Abdominopelvic cavity contains peritoneal
cavity
o Located between the visceral
peritoneum and the parietal
peritoneum and contains peritoneal
fluid
o Visceral peritoneum: covers many
of the organs of the abdominopelvic
cavity
o Parietal peritoneum: lines the wall
of the abdominopelvic cavity and the
inferior surface of the diaphragm.
 Mesenteries: parts of the peritoneum that
hold the abdominal organs in place and
provide a passageway for blood vessels
and nerves to organs.
 Retroperitoneal organs are found “behind”
the parietal peritoneum. The kidneys, the
adrenal glands, part of the pancreas, parts
of the intestines, and the urinary bladder are
examples of retroperitoneal organs.

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