ANAPHY LEC: THE HUMAN BODY: AN

ORIENTATION
TOPIC OUTLINE
• An overview of Anatomy and Physiology
• Levels of Structural Organization
• Maintaining Life
• The Language of Anatomy
⚬ Anatomical Terminology
⚬ Directional Terms
⚬ Regional Terms
⚬ Body Planes and Sections
⚬ Body Cavities
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES:
• Define anatomy and physiology and explain how they are
related.
• Identify the different levels of structural organization.
• Explain the need of the human body.
• Apply anatomical Terminology to describe body direction,
surfaces, and body planes.

OVERVIEW OF ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

REQUIREMENTS FOR LIFE

ANATOMY - derived from the Greek words meaning to cut
(tomy) apart (ana) NECESSARY LIFE FUNCTIONS - Maintenance of
- it is the study of the structure and shape of the body life involves:
and its part and their relationships to one another • Maintaining boundaries - Separation between internal and
external environments must exist
GROSS OR MACROSCOPIC ANATOMY • Movement - Muscular system allows movement
• It is the study of large, visible structures • Responsiveness - Ability to sense and respond to stimuli
⚬ Regional Anatomy • Digestion - Breakdown of ingested foodstuffs, followed by
absorption of simple molecules into blood
⚬ System Anatomy
• Metabolism - All chemical reactions that occur in body cells
⚬ Surface Anatomy • Excretion - Removal of wastes from metabolism and digestion
MICROSCOPIC ANATOMY • Reproduction - At the cellular level, reproduction involves
• deals with structures too small to be seen with the naked eye division of cells for growth or repair
⚬ Cytology - At the organismal level, reproduction is the
⚬ Histology production of offspring
DEVELOPMENTAL ANATOMY • Growth - Increase in size of a body part or of organism
• Studies anatomical and development throughout life
⚬ Embryology Humans are multicellular, so to function, individual cells must be kept
alive
• Organ systems are designed to service the cells
PHYSIOLOGY - it is the study of how the body and its parts • All cells depend on organ systems to meet their
work or function survival needs
physio = nature • There are 11 organ systems that work together to
logy = study of maintain life

BASED ON ORGAN SYSTEMS

• Neurophysiology
• Cardiac Physiology
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LEVELS
• Looks at how the body’s abilities are dependent on
chemical reactions in individual cells

PRINCIPLE OF COMPLEMENTARITY OF STRUCTURE AND

FUNCTION
 Anatomy and physiology are inseparable
 Function always reflects structure
 What a structure can do depends on its specific form

STRUCTURAL ORGANIZATION → from the

smallest chemical level to whole
organism level
Chemical level: atoms, molecules, and organelles
Cellular level: single cell
Tissue level: groups of similar cells
Organ level: contains two or more types of tissues
Organ system level: organs that work closely together
Organismal level: all organ systems combined to make the
whole organism
Figure 1.2 Examples of interrelationships among body organ systems.

SURVIVAL NEEDS
(1 NUTRIENTS - Chemicals for energy and cell building
) • Carbohydrates
• Proteins
• Fats
• Minerals and vitamins

(2 OXYGEN - Essential for release of energy from foods

) • The body can survive only a few minutes
without oxygen

(3 WATER - Most abundant chemical in body; provides the watery

) environment needed for chemical reactions
 (4 NORMAL BODY TEMPERATURE - If body temp falls below • Usually controls infrequent events that do not require continuous
) or goes above 37°C, rates of chemical reactions are affected adjustment

(5 APPROPRIATE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE - Specific

) pressure of air is needed for adequate breathing and gas exchange
in lungs

Figure 1.6 A positive feedback mechanism regulates formation of a platelet

HOMEOSTASIS - is the maintenance of relatively stable plug.
internal conditions despite continuous changes in environment

Homeostatic control variables:

1) Receptor - Monitors environment: Responds to stimuli
 Nervous and endocrine systems, as well as other
systems, play a major role in maintaining homeostasis
2) Control Center - Receives input from receptor: Determines
appropriate response
 Variables are factors that can change (blood sugar,
body temperature, blood volume, etc.)
3) Effector - Receives output from control center: Provides the
means to respond
 Response either reduces stimulus (negative feedback)
or enhances stimulus (positive feedback)
NEGATIVE FEEDBACK
• Most-used feedback mechanism in body
• Response reduces or shuts off original stimulus Variable changes
in opposite direction of initial change
HOMEOSTATIC IMBALANCE
• Increases risk of disease
• Contributes to changes associated with aging
o Control systems become less efficient
• If negative feedback mechanisms become overwhelmed,
destructive positive feedback mechanisms may take over
o Heart failure
Figure 1.4 Interactions among the elements of a homeostatic control o
system maintain stable internal conditions.
THE LANGUAGE OF ANATOMY
Anatomical Position and Directional Terms
ANATOMICAL

Body erect,
STANDARD

feet slightly
apart, palms
facing forward
with thumbs
pointing away
POSITION

from body
DIRECTIONAL TERMS - describe one body structure in relation to
another body structure
• Direction is always based on standard anatomical position
• Right and left refer to the body being viewed, not right and left
of observer

Figure 1.5 Body temperature is regulated by a negative feedback

mechanism.

POSITIVE FEEDBACK
• Response enhances or exaggerates the original stimulus
• May exhibit a cascade or amplifying effect as feedback causes
variable to continue in same direction as initial change
Regional Terms - designate specific areas within body divisions

Two major divisions of body:

AXIAL
• Head, neck, and trunk
APPENDICULAR
• Limbs (legs and arms)
 • Pericardial cavity
BODY CAVITIES AND MEMBRANES - provide different degrees of • Encloses heart
protection to organs within them
ABDOMINOPELVIC CAVITY
DORSAL BODY CAVITY • Abdominal cavity
• Protects fragile nervous system • Contains stomach, intestines, spleen, and liver
• Two subdivisions • Pelvic cavity
• Cranial Cavity • Contains urinary bladder, reproductive organs, and
VENTRAL BODY CAVITY rectum
• Houses the internal organs (collectively called viscera) •
• Two subdivisions
• Thoracic cavity
• Abdominopelvic cavity

MEMBRANES IN THE VENTRAL BODY CAVITY

• Serosa (also called serous membrane)
• Thin, double-layered membranes that cover surfaces in
ventral body cavity
 Parietal serosa lines internal body cavity
walls
THORACIC CAVITY
 Visceral serosa covers internal organs
• Two pleural cavities
(viscera)
• Each cavity surrounds one lung
• Double layers are separated by slit-like cavity filled with serous
• Mediastinum
fluid
• Contains pericardial cavity
• Fluid secreted by both layers of membrane
• Surrounds other thoracic organs, such as esophagus,
• Named for specific cavity and organs that they are associated
trachea, etc.
with
 • Hypogastric region
• Left iliac (inguinal) region

ABDOMINOPELVIC QUADRANTS AND REGIONS

• Quadrants are divisions used primarily by medical personnel
• Abdominopelvic region is sectioned into quarters/ quadrants
• Right upper quadrant (RUQ)
• Left upper quadrant (LUQ)
• Right lower quadrant (RLQ)
• Left lower quadrant (LLQ)

ABDOMINOPELVIC QUADRANTS AND REGIONS

• Nine divisions called regions, resembling a tic-tac-toe grid, are
used primarily by anatomists
• Right hypochondriac region
• Epigastric region
• Left hypochondriac region
• Right lumbar region
• Umbilical region
• Left lumber region
• Right Iliac (inguinal) region