HUMAN ANATOMY AND
PHYSIOLOGY SUMMARY;
DESCRIPTION OF TERMS
Anatomy
the study of the structure of body parts and their relationships
to one another
Physiology
the study of the functions of the body, or how the body parts
work and carry out their life sustaining activities
Principle of Complementary
Structure determines function
Maintaining boundaries
Cell membrane and integumentary system
Movement
Activities promoted by the muscular system
Responsiveness (irritability)
Sense changes and respond to them
Digestion
Breakdown of ingested food into simple molecules for
absorption
,Metabolism
All chemical reactions within body cells
Catabolism
Breakdown into simpler substances
Anabolism
Synthesis of more complex substances from simpler ones
Excretion
Removing waste
Reproduction
Creating new daughter cells or offspring
Growth
Increase in size or cell number
Organization of life
chemicals (atoms, molecules), cells, tissues, organs, organ
systems, organisms
Organ systems
integumentary, skeletal, muscular, nervous, endocrine,
cardiovascular, lymphatic/immunity, respiratory, digestive,
urinary, reproductive
Anatomical position
,body erect, arms at sides, legs together, palms face up. This
allows proper orientation of the parts of the body and gives us a
directional reference point, regardless of the position of the
body
Frontal (coronal) plane
divides into front and back halves (like a CT scan)
Sagittal plane
divides into left and right halves (midsagittal divides into equal
left and right halves
Transverse (axial) plane
divides into top and bottom halves
Direction terms
allows us to explain where one body structure is in relation to
another
Superior
Above
Inferior
Below
Medial
Toward the midline
Lateral
, Away from the midline (sides or edges)
Anterior
In front of
Proximal
Closer to the main part of the body (used with appendages)
Posterior
Behind
Distal
Farther away from the main part of the body (appendages)
Superficial (external)
Towards surface
Deep (internal)
Away from the surface
Spinal cavity
Contains spine
Dorsal cavity
Made of cranial and spinal cavities
Cranial cavity
Contains brain
Ventral cavity
PHYSIOLOGY SUMMARY;
DESCRIPTION OF TERMS
Anatomy
the study of the structure of body parts and their relationships
to one another
Physiology
the study of the functions of the body, or how the body parts
work and carry out their life sustaining activities
Principle of Complementary
Structure determines function
Maintaining boundaries
Cell membrane and integumentary system
Movement
Activities promoted by the muscular system
Responsiveness (irritability)
Sense changes and respond to them
Digestion
Breakdown of ingested food into simple molecules for
absorption
,Metabolism
All chemical reactions within body cells
Catabolism
Breakdown into simpler substances
Anabolism
Synthesis of more complex substances from simpler ones
Excretion
Removing waste
Reproduction
Creating new daughter cells or offspring
Growth
Increase in size or cell number
Organization of life
chemicals (atoms, molecules), cells, tissues, organs, organ
systems, organisms
Organ systems
integumentary, skeletal, muscular, nervous, endocrine,
cardiovascular, lymphatic/immunity, respiratory, digestive,
urinary, reproductive
Anatomical position
,body erect, arms at sides, legs together, palms face up. This
allows proper orientation of the parts of the body and gives us a
directional reference point, regardless of the position of the
body
Frontal (coronal) plane
divides into front and back halves (like a CT scan)
Sagittal plane
divides into left and right halves (midsagittal divides into equal
left and right halves
Transverse (axial) plane
divides into top and bottom halves
Direction terms
allows us to explain where one body structure is in relation to
another
Superior
Above
Inferior
Below
Medial
Toward the midline
Lateral
, Away from the midline (sides or edges)
Anterior
In front of
Proximal
Closer to the main part of the body (used with appendages)
Posterior
Behind
Distal
Farther away from the main part of the body (appendages)
Superficial (external)
Towards surface
Deep (internal)
Away from the surface
Spinal cavity
Contains spine
Dorsal cavity
Made of cranial and spinal cavities
Cranial cavity
Contains brain
Ventral cavity
