Download The Human Body—An Orientation

The Human Body: An Orientation
Anatomy - Study of the structure and shape of the body and its parts
Physiology - Study of how the body and its parts work or function
 Gross Anatomy
 Large structures
 Easily observable
 Microscopic Anatomy
 Very small structures
 Can only be viewed with a
microscope
Levels of Structural Organization
Smooth muscle cell
Molecules
Cellular level
Cells are made up of
molecules
Atoms
Chemical level
Atoms combine to
form molecules
Tissue level
Tissues consist of
similar types of cells
Smooth
muscle
tissue
Epithelial
tissue
Smooth
muscle
tissue
Connective
tissue
Organ level
Organs are made up
of different types
of tissues
Blood
vessel
(organ)
Cardiovascular
system
Organismal level
Human organisms
are made up of many
organ systems
Organ system level
Organ systems consist of different
organs that work together closely
The 11 Organ System Overview
 Integumentary
 Forms the external body covering
 Protects deeper tissue from injury
 Helps regulate body temperature
 Location of cutaneous nerve
receptors
 Skeletal
 Protects and supports body organs
 Provides muscle attachment for
movement
 Site of blood cell formation
 Stores minerals
 Muscular
 Produces movement
 Maintains posture
 Produces heat
 Nervous
 Fast-acting control system
 Responds to internal and external
change
 Activates muscles and glands
 Endocrine
 Secretes regulatory
hormones
 Growth
 Reproduction
 Metabolism
 Cardiovascular
 Transports materials in body
via blood pumped by heart
 Oxygen
 Carbon dioxide
 Nutrients
 Wastes
 Lymphatic
 Returns fluids to blood vessels
 Cleanses the blood
 Involved in immunity
 Respiratory
 Keeps blood supplied with oxygen
 Removes carbon dioxide
 Digestive
 Breaks down food
 Allows for nutrient absorption into
blood
 Eliminates indigestible material
 Urinary
 Eliminates nitrogenous wastes
 Maintains acid-base balance
 Regulates water and electrolytes
 Reproductive
 Produces offspring
Necessary Life Functions
 Maintain boundaries
 Movement
 Locomotion
 Movement of substances
 Responsiveness
 Ability to sense changes and react
 Digestion
 Break-down and absorption of
nutrients
 Metabolism—chemical reactions within
the body
 Produces energy
 Makes body structures
 Excretion
 Eliminates waste from metabolic
reactions
 Reproduction
 Produces future generation
 Growth
 Increases cell size and # of cells
Survival Needs
 Nutrients
 Chemicals for energy and cell
building
 Includes carbohydrates, proteins,
lipids, vitamins, and minerals
 Water
 60–80% of body weight
 Provides for metabolic reaction
 Oxygen
 Required for chemical reactions
 Atmospheric pressure
 Must be appropriate
 Stable body temperature
Interrelationships Among Body Systems
 Homeostasis—maintenance of a stable internal environment
 A dynamic state of equilibrium
 Homeostasis is necessary for normal body functioning and to sustain life
 Homeostatic imbalance
 A disturbance in homeostasis resulting in disease
Maintaining Homeostasis
 The body communicates through neural and hormonal control systems
 Receptor
 Responds to changes in the environment (stimuli)
 Sends information to control center
 Control center
 Determines set point
 Analyzes information
 Determines appropriate response
 Effector
 Provides a means for response to the stimulus
Feedback Mechanisms
 Negative feedback
 Includes most homeostatic control mechanisms
 Shuts off the original stimulus, or reduces its intensity
 Works like a household thermostat
 Positive feedback
 Increases the original stimulus to push the variable farther
 In the body this only occurs in blood clotting and during the birth of a baby
The Language of Anatomy
Anatomical position
the position of the body to which health professionals refer when noting body planes, posisiton, or
direction: the person is assumed to be standing upright, torward, palms facing forward
Anterior body landmarks
Posterior body landmarks
Directional Terms
Anterior (ventral): toward the front
Posterior (dorsal): toward the back
Superior: Above, toward the head
Inferior: Below, toward the lower part
Distal: Away from, farther from the point of
attachment
Proximal: Near, closer to the point of
attachment
Lateral: Toward the side, away from the midline
Medial: Toward the mid-line, middle, away
from the side
Dorsal: Near the upper surface, toward the
back
Ventral: Toward the bottom, toward the belly
Deep: away from the body surface; more
internal
Superficial: toward or at the body surface
Body Planes and Sections
 A sagittal section divides the body
(or organ) into left and right parts
 A median, or midsagittal, section
divides the body (or organ) into equal
left and right parts
 A frontal section divides the body
(or organ) into anterior and posterior
parts
 A transverse, or cross, section divides
the body (or organ) into superior and
inferior parts
Body Cavities
 Dorsal body cavity
 Cranial cavity houses the brain
 Spinal cavity houses the spinal cord
 Ventral body cavity
 Thoracic cavity houses heart, lungs and others
 Abdominopelvic cavity houses digestive system and most urinary system organs
Abdominopelvic
Quadrants
Abdominopelvic
Regions