VANDERS HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY MECHANISM
OF BODY FUNCTION LEARNING WORKBOOK
2026 PHYSIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS AND
HOMEOSTASIS
◉ What is pathophysiology? Answer: Disease states can be viewed
as physiology "gone wrong"
◉ What are cells? Answer: Simplest structural units into which a
complex multicellular organism can be divided and still retain the
functions characteristic of life
1. Humans start as a single cell, a fertilized egg, and divides
2. During development, each cell becomes specialized for
performance of a particular function
◉ What is Cell differentiation? Answer: The process of transforming
an unspecialized cell into a specialized cell
1. 200 distinct kinds of cells can be identified in body in terms of diff.
in structure and function
◉ What are the 4 broad major categories of cells based on function?
Answer: 1. Muscles cells
2. Neurons
,3. Epithelial cells
4. Connective-tissue cells
Each type may have subtypes with different functions
◉ What is tissue? Answer: 1. Differentiated cells with similar
properties that aggregate
2. An aggregate of a single type of specialized cell
3. Denotes general cellular fabric of any organ or structure (may
include all 4 types of tissues)
◉ What are the 4 general types of tissue? Answer: 1. Muscle tissue
2. Nervous tissue
3. Epithelial tissue
4. Connective tissue
◉ What are organs? Answer: One type of tissue that combines with
other types of tissue
Ex: heart, lungs, kidneys
◉ What are organ systems? Answer: Organs working together
Ex. Urinary system
, ◉ What are the 3 types of muscle cells? Answer: 1. Skeletal
2. Cardiac
3. Smooth
◉ What is a common characteristic of all muscle cells? Answer:
Specialized to generate mechanical force
◉ What are characteristics of skeletal muscle cells? Answer: 1.
Attached through other structures to bones and produce movement
of limbs or trunk
2. Attached to skin, such as muscles production facial expressions
3. Voluntary, can choose when to contract
◉ What are characteristics of cardiac muscle cells? Answer: 1. Only
found in heart
2. When generating force, heart contracts and pumps blood into
circulation
3. Involuntary muscle, cannot consciously alter
◉ What are characteristics of smooth muscle cells? Answer: 1. Make
up part of walls of many tubes in body-blood vessels, tubes of
gastrointestinal tracts
2. Contraction decreases diameter of shortens lengths of these tubes
OF BODY FUNCTION LEARNING WORKBOOK
2026 PHYSIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS AND
HOMEOSTASIS
◉ What is pathophysiology? Answer: Disease states can be viewed
as physiology "gone wrong"
◉ What are cells? Answer: Simplest structural units into which a
complex multicellular organism can be divided and still retain the
functions characteristic of life
1. Humans start as a single cell, a fertilized egg, and divides
2. During development, each cell becomes specialized for
performance of a particular function
◉ What is Cell differentiation? Answer: The process of transforming
an unspecialized cell into a specialized cell
1. 200 distinct kinds of cells can be identified in body in terms of diff.
in structure and function
◉ What are the 4 broad major categories of cells based on function?
Answer: 1. Muscles cells
2. Neurons
,3. Epithelial cells
4. Connective-tissue cells
Each type may have subtypes with different functions
◉ What is tissue? Answer: 1. Differentiated cells with similar
properties that aggregate
2. An aggregate of a single type of specialized cell
3. Denotes general cellular fabric of any organ or structure (may
include all 4 types of tissues)
◉ What are the 4 general types of tissue? Answer: 1. Muscle tissue
2. Nervous tissue
3. Epithelial tissue
4. Connective tissue
◉ What are organs? Answer: One type of tissue that combines with
other types of tissue
Ex: heart, lungs, kidneys
◉ What are organ systems? Answer: Organs working together
Ex. Urinary system
, ◉ What are the 3 types of muscle cells? Answer: 1. Skeletal
2. Cardiac
3. Smooth
◉ What is a common characteristic of all muscle cells? Answer:
Specialized to generate mechanical force
◉ What are characteristics of skeletal muscle cells? Answer: 1.
Attached through other structures to bones and produce movement
of limbs or trunk
2. Attached to skin, such as muscles production facial expressions
3. Voluntary, can choose when to contract
◉ What are characteristics of cardiac muscle cells? Answer: 1. Only
found in heart
2. When generating force, heart contracts and pumps blood into
circulation
3. Involuntary muscle, cannot consciously alter
◉ What are characteristics of smooth muscle cells? Answer: 1. Make
up part of walls of many tubes in body-blood vessels, tubes of
gastrointestinal tracts
2. Contraction decreases diameter of shortens lengths of these tubes
