MUSCLE, SKELETAL, AND NERVOUS SYSTEM NOTES FOR HESI A2 EXAM PREPARATION A+ VERIFIED
LATEST UPDATE
1. homeostasis: body's maintenance of a stable environment
2. receptors: molecule or cell that provides information about the environment
3. control center (and set point): indicates correct value (e.g. body temp)
4. effectors: What elicits a response that alters conditions within the body's internal environment. (e.g. muscles
and glands)
5. negative feedback: When receptors measure deviations from the set point, ettectors are activated and
conditions are returned toward the set point and ettectors gradually shut ott. This movement toward homeostasis
and balance is called .........
6. positive feedback: Homeostatic mechanisms that function when changes byettectors move the body away
from normal conditions, causing more changes, is called. (examples are blood clotting and labor contractions)
7. organelles, cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, organism: Levels of organization
8. organelle: Cell components that perform a specific function
9. cells: Basic unit of structure and function
10. tissues: Groups of cells organized into layers or masses that have specific functions
11. organs: Structures that perform a specialized function (comprised of tissues)
12. Organ systems: Groups of organs that function together closely
13. Organism: Comprised of an interacting organ system
14. superior: above, or closer to the head
15. inferior: below, or closer to the feet
16. Anterior (Ventral): Toward the front
17. Posterior (Dorsal): Toward the back
18. medial: Toward the midline
19. lateral: Away from the midline (closer to the sides)
20. Median (saggital) plane: Imaginary vertical line dividing the body into right and left portions
21. Coronal/Frontal plane: Imaginary vertical line dividing the body into anterior and posterior portions
22. Transverse (cross-sectional): Imaginary horizontal line dividing the body into superior and inferior
23. Dorsal cavities (near the back): Cranial and spinal cavity
24. Cranial cavity: Cavity that contains the brain
25. Spinal cavity (vertebral): Cavity that contains the spinal cord and vertebrae
26. orbits, nasal, oral, thoracic, mediastinum, pericardial, pleural, and ab-
dominopelvic (peritoneal): Ventral cavities (near the front of the body)
27. orbits: Cavity that contains the eyes and associated skeletal muscles and nerves
, HESI ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY STUDY GUIDE – COMPLETE ANATOMY, PHYSIOLOGY, TISSUE,
MUSCLE, SKELETAL, AND NERVOUS SYSTEM NOTES FOR HESI A2 EXAM PREPARATION A+ VERIFIED
LATEST UPDATE
28. Nasal cavity: Cavity that is divided into right and left portions by the nasal septum; air-filled sphenoid and
frontal sinuses
29. Oral cavity: Cavity that contains the teeth and tongue
30. thoracic cavity: Cavity that contains the lungs (chest cavity)
31. Mediastinum: Space between the lungs that contains the heart, esophagus, trachea, and thymus
32. Pericardial cavity: Potential space between the visceral pericardium and the parietal pericardium
33. middle ear cavities: Cavity containing the incus, malleus, stapes
34. Pleural cavities (lungs): Cavities (right and left) that are the potential space between the parietal and
visceral pleural membranes
35. Abdominopelvic cavity: Cavity that extends from the diaphragm to the floor of the pelvis; includes
stomach, liver, spleen, gallbladder, small and large intestines, urinary bladder, and reproductive organs
36. Peritoneal cavity: Cavity that is the potential space between the parietal and visceral peritoneal mem-
branes
37. Pleural membranes (parietal is the outside layer that lines the cavity, viscer-
al is the inside layer, covering the lung): Body cavity membrane: which is a serous membrane that
lines the lungs
38. Pericardial (parietal is the outside layer which lines the mediastinum, vis-
ceral is the inside layer, covering the heart): Body cavity membrane: which serous membrane
lines the heart?
39. Peritoneal membranes (parietal is the outside layer which lines the cavity,
visceral is the inside layer, lining the organs): Body cavity membrane: Which serous membrane
lines the abdominopelvic cavity?
40. epithelial, connective, nerve, and muscle tissue: Four major tissue types
41. epithelial: Which type of tissue is found throughout the body and covers the body, lines organs, found in
the inner lining of body cavities and hollow organs?
42. epithelial: Which type of tissue always has an apical (free) surface exposed to an open space (inside or
outside)?
43. basement membrane: What nonliving membrane anchors epithelium to underlying connective tissue?
44. true: T/F Epithelial cells lack blood vessels, so they are supplied by underlying connective tissues
45. protection, secretion, absorption, and excretion: Functions of epithelial tissue
46. simple squamos: Which type of epithelial tissue is a single layer of thin, flattened cells that is thin and
delicate, easily damaged?