Term | Definition |
Anatomy | The study of the structure and shape of the body and body parts and their relationships to one another |
Physiology | The study of how the body and its parts work or function |
Atoms | Tiny building blocks of matter, combine to form molecules |
Cells | The smallest units of all living things |
Tissues | Groups of similar cells that have a common function |
Organ | A structure that is composed of two or more tissue types and performs a specific function for the body |
Organ System | A group of organs that work together to perform a vital body function |
Organisms | An individual living thing |
Integumentary System | The skin and its accessory organs |
Skeletal System | System of protection and support composed primarily of bone and cartilage |
Muscular System | Organ system consisting of skeletal muscles and their connective tissue attachments |
Nervous System | Fast-acting control system that employs nerve impulses to trigger muscle contraction or gland secretion |
Endocrine System | Body system that includes internal organs that secrete hormones |
Cardiovascular System | Organ system that distributes blood to all parts of the body |
Lymphatic System | A system of lymphatic vessels, lymphatic nodes, and other lymphatic organs and tissues |
Respiratory System | Organ system that carries out gas exchange; includes the nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, and lungs |
Digestive System | System that processes food into absorbable units and eliminates indigestible wastes |
Urinary System | System primarily responsible for water, electrolyte, and acid-base balance and the removal of nitrogenous wastes from the blood |
Reproductive System | Organ system that functions to produce offspring |
Movement | All the activities promoted by the muscular system |
Responsiveness / Irritability | The ability to sense changes (stimuli) in the environment and then to react to them |
Digestion | The bodily process of breaking down food chemically and mechanically |
Metabolism | The sum total of the chemical reactions that occur in the body |
Excretion | The elimination of waste products from the body |
Reproduction | The production of offspring |
Growth | An increase in size, usually accomplished by an increase in the number of cells |
Nutrients | Taken in via the diet, contain the chemicals used for energy and cell building |
Oxygen | Needed for the chemical reactions that release energy from food |
Water | Accounts for sixty to eighty percent of body weight |
Body Temperature | Must be maintained at around 37*C (98*C) |
Atmospheric Pressure | The force exerted on the surface of the body by the weight of air |
Homeostasis | A state of equilibrium or stable internal environment of the body |
Receptor | A peripheral nerve ending specialized for response to particular types of stimuli; molecule that binds specifically with other molecule |
Control Center | Determines the level at which a variable is to be maintained, analyses the information it receives and then determines the appropriate response or course of action |
Effector | An organ, gland, or muscle capable of being activated by nerve endings |
Negative Feedback Mechanisms | Net effect of the response to the stimulus is to shut off the original stimulus or reduce its intensity |
Positive Feedback Mechanisms | Tend to increase the original disturbance (stimulus) and to push the variable farther from its original value |
Homeostatic Imbalance | Most disease can be regarded as a result of its disturbance |
Anatomical Position | It is always assumed that the body is in a standard position |
Abdominal | Anterior body trunk inferior to the ribs |
Acromial | Point of shoulder |
Antecubital | Anterior surface of elbow |
Axillary | Armpit |
Brachial | Arm |
Buccal | Cheek area |
Carpal | Wrist |
Cervical | Neck region |
Coxal | Hip |
Crural | Leg |
Digital | Fingers, toes |
Femoral | Thigh |
Fibular | Lateral part of leg |
Inguinal | Area where thigh meets body trunk; groin |
Nasal | Nose area |
Oral | Mouth |
Orbital | Eye area |
Patellar | Anterior knee |
Pelvic | Area overlying the pelvis anteriorly |
Pubic | Genial region |
Sternal | Breastbone area |
Tarsal | Ankle region |
Thoracic | Chest |
Umbilical | Navel |
Calcaneal | Heel of foot |
Cephalic | Head |
Deltoid | Curve of shoulder formed by large deltoid muscle |
Femoral | Thigh |
Gluteal | Buttock |
Lumbar | Area of back between ribs and hips |
Occipital | Posterior surface of head |
Olecranal | Posterior surface of elbow |
Popliteal | Posterior knee area |
Scapular | Shoulder blade region |
Sural | The posterior surface of lower leg; the calf |
Vertebral | Area of spine |
Plantar | Pertaining at the sole of the foot |
Directional terms | Used to explain exactly where one body structure is in relation to another |
Superior (Cranial or cephalad) | Towards the head end or upper part of a structure or the body; above |
Inferior (caudal) | Away from the head end or toward the lower part of a structure or the body; below |
Anterior (ventral) | Toward or at at the front of the body; in front of |
Posterior (dorsal) | Towards or at the backside of the body; behind |
Medial | Toward or at the midline of the body; on the inner side of |
Lateral | Away from the midline of the body; on the outer side of |
Intermediate | Between a more medial and a more lateral structure |
Proximal | Close to the origin of the body part or the point of attachment of a limb to the body trunk |
Distal | Farther from the origin of a body part or the point of attachment of a limb to the body trunk |
Superficial (external) | Toward or at the body surface |
Deep (internal) | Away from the body surface; more internal |
Section | Cut |
Plane | An imaginary line where the section is made through the body wall or organ |
Sagittal Section | A longitudinal (vertical) plane that divides the body or any of its parts into right and left portions |
Midsagittal/Median Section | Specific sagittal plane that lies exactly in the midline |
Frontal (coronal) Section | A longitudinal plane that divides the body or organ into anterior and posterior parts |
Transverse (cross) Section | A cut made along a horizontal plane, dividing the body or organ into superior and inferior parts |
Dorsal Body Cavity | Two subdivisions (cranial and spinal cavities) |
Cranial Cavity | The space inside the bony skull |
Spinal Cavity | Extends from the cranial cavity nearly to the end of the vertebral column |
Ventral Body Cavity | Four subdivisions (thoracic, diaphragm, abdominal, and pelvic cavity) |
Thoracic Cavity | Separated from the rest of the ventral cavity |
Diaphragm | A muscle that separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominopelvic cavity |
Mediastinum | The region of the thoracic cavity between the lungs |
Abdominopelvic Cavity | Cavity inferior to the diaphragm |
Abdominal Cavity | Stomach, liver, intestines, and other organs |
Pelvic Cavity | Reproductive organs, bladder, and rectum |
Umbilical Region | Centermost region, deep to and surrounding the umbilicus (navel) |
Epigastric Region | Superior to the umbilical region |
Hypogastric (Pubic) Region | Inferior to the umbilical region |
Right/Left Iliac (Inguinal) Regions | Lateral to the hypogastric region |
Right/Left Lumbar Regions | Lateral to the umbilical region |
Right/Left Hypochondriac Regions | Flank the epigastric region and contain the lower ribs |