CHAPTER 1: THE
5. Organs- a structure compose of 2 or
HUMAN BODY: AN
ORIENTATION
A. AN OVERVIEW OF ANATOMY
AND PHYSIOLOGY
 ANATOMY
 Study of the structure and shape of the
body and its part and their relationship
to one another
 Greek words: ana- (apart); tomy (cut)
 2 Subdivisions of Anatomy
1. Gross anatomy- study of body parts
visible to the naked eye.
2. Microscopic Anatomy- the study of
body structures that is too small to
be seen with the naked eye.
 PHYSIOLOGY
 The study of how the body and its part
work or function.
 Physio- (nature); ology- (the study of)
B. OF STRUCTURAL ORGANIZATIONS
1. Chemical Level- the simplest level of the
structural level. At this level, atoms, tiny
building blocks of matter, combine to
form molecules.
2. Molecules- associate in specific ways to
form the microscopic cells.
3. Cells- smallest unit of all living things
4. Tissue- a group of great many similar
cells that all developed togetherfrom the
same part of the embryo and all
performs a certain function
4 Major types of Tissue
I. Epithelial
II. Connective
III. Muscle
IV. Nervous
more tissues that perform a specific
function.
6. Organ System- a group of organs that
work together to accomplish a common
purpose
7. Organism- the highest level of structural
organization.
C. ORGAN SYSTEM OVERVIEW
1. Integumentary System
 the external covering of the body, or
the skin.
 Water proofs the body and cushions
and protects the deeper tissue from
injury
 Excretes salts and urea in perspiration
and helps regulate body temperature
2. Skeletal System
 consist of bones, cartilages, ligaments,
and joints
 supports the body and provides
framework that the skeletal muscles
use to cause movement
 it also has a protective function
 Hematopoiesis or formation of blood
cells takes place within the cavity of
the skeleton
 Hard substance of bones acts as
storehouse for minerals
3. Muscular System
 Functions to contract or shorten
 Viewed as machines of the body
 Allows manipulation of the
environment, locomotion and facial
expression, maintains posture;
produces heat
4. Nervous System
 The body’s fast acting control system
 Consist of the brain, spinal cord,
nerves and sensory receptors
  Responds to internal and external
changes by activating appropriate
muscles and glands
5. Endocrine System
 Glands secret hormones that regulate
processes such as growth and
reproduction
 Consist of pituitary, thyroid,
parathyroids, adrenal, thymus,
pancreas, pineal, ovaries, testes
6. Cardiovascular System
 Consist of heart and blood vessels
 Blood vessels transport blood, which
carries oxygen, carbon dioxide,
nutrients, waste
7. Lymphatic System
 consist of the lymphatic vessels, lymph
nodes, lymphoid organs (spleen,
tonsils)
 Picks up fluid leaked from blood
vessels and returns it to the blood,
houses white blood cells involved in
immunity
8. Respiratory System
 Keeps blood constantly supplied with
oxygen and removes carbon dioxide
 Consist of nasal passages, pharynx,
larynx, trachea, bronchi and lungs.
9. Digestive System
 Breaks food down into absorbable
units that enters the blood for
distribution to body cells
 Consist of oral cavity, esophagus,
stomach, small and large intestines
and rectum
10.Urinary System
 Eliminates nitrogenous waste from the
body, regulates water, electrolytes and
acid- base balance of the blood
 Also known as excretory system
 Consist of kidneys, ureters, bladder
and urethra
11.Reproductive System
 Overall function is production of
offspring.
 Testes- produce sperm and male sex
hormone, ducts and gland aid in
delivery of viable sperm to the female
reproductive tract
 Ovaries- produce eggs and female sex
hormones, remaining structures
serves as sites for fertilization and
development of the fetuus.
 Mammary glands of female breast
produces milk to nourish the newborn
D. MAINTAINING LIFE
Necessary Life Functions
1. Maintaining Boundaries- preventing
entry of potentially damaging or
unnecessary substances
2. Movement- includes all the activities
promoted by the muscular system, such
as propelling our selves from one place to
another *walking, swimming) and
manipulating the external environment
with our fingers.
3. Responsiveness or irritability- ability to
sense changes (stimuli) in the
environment and then to react to them.
4. Digestion- Process by which complex
food products are broken down into
simpler substances
5. Metabolism- Breaking down complex
substances into simpler building blocks,
making larger structures from smaller
ones.
6. Excretion- Removal of waste products
from the body
7. Reproduction- Formation of new
individual offspring
8. Growth- Increase in size and number of G. HOMEOSTASIS
cells therefore increase in size of an
individual or organ  The ability of the body to maintain a
9. Respiration- Exhange of respiratory gases relatively stable internal conditions
between organism and its environment event though the outsidw world is
10.Absorption- Movement of molecules continuously changing
through a membrane and into the body  Indicates a dynamic state if
fluids for transport to cells for use equilibrium, or a balance in which
11.Secretion- Production and release of internal conditions change and vary
important substances for diverse body but always within relatively narrow
functions limits
12.Circulation - Movement of body fluids
containing many substances from one
body area to another
F. HOMEOSTATIC CONTROL
MECHANISMS
 Processes for maintaining or restoring
E. SURVIVAL NEEDS
homeostasis.
1. Water
• There are three (3) parts:
- most abundant substance in body
- required for metabolic processes 1. Receptor - provides information
- required for transport of substances about the stimuli
- regulates body temperature 2. Control Center - tells what a
2. Food particular value should be (called
- provides necessary nutrients the set point)
- supplies energy
- supplies raw materials
3. Oxygen (gas)
- one-fifth of air
- used to release energy from nutrients

4. Heat/ Temperature
- form of energy
- partly controls rate of metabolic
reactions
5. Pressure
- application of force on an object
- atmospheric pressure – important
for breathing
- hydrostatic pressure – keeps blood
Flowing
 3. Effector - elicits responses that
change conditions in the internal
environment
H. THE LANGUAGE OF ANATOMY
ANATOMICAL POSITION
 The body is erect with the feet parallel
and the arms hanging at the sides with
the palms facing forward
one body structure is in relation to
another
A. SUPERIOR
O Toward the head end or upper part of
a structure or the body; above
EXAMPLE:
O The fore head is superior to the nose
B. INFERIOR
O Away from the head end or toward the
lower part of a structure of the body;
below
EXAMPLE:
O The navel is inferior to the breastbone

C. VENTRAL (ANTERIOR)
O Toward or at the front of the body; in
front of
EXAMPLE:
O The breastbone is anterior to the spine

D. DORSAL (POSTERIOR)
O Toward or at the back side of the body;
DIRECTIONAL TERMS behind
 Allow medical personnel and EXAMPLE:
anatomist to explain exactly where O The heart is posterior to the
breastbone

E. MEDIAL
O Toward or at the midline of the body;
on the inner side of
EXAMPLE:
O The heart is medial to the arm

F. LATERAL
O Away from the midline of the body; on
the outer side of
EXAMPLE:
O The arms are lateral to the chest
 O The lungs are deep to the rib cage

REGIONAL TERMS
G. PROXIMAL ANTERIOR BODY LANDMARK
O Close to the origin of the body part or  Abdominal- anterior body trunk
the point of attachment of a limb to inferior to ribs
the body trunk  Acromial- point of shoulder
EXAMPLE:  Antebrachial- forearm
O The elbow is proximal to the shoulder  Antecubital- anterior surface of elbow
 Axillary- armpit
H. DISTAL  Brachial- arm
O Farther from the origin of a body parts  Buccal- cheek area
of the point of attachment of a limb to  Carpal- wrist
the body trunk  Cervical neck region
EXAMPLE:  Coxal- hip
O The knee is distal to the thigh  Crural- leg
 Deltoid- curve of shoulder formed by
I. SUPERFICIAL large deltoid muscle
O Toward or at the body surface  Digital- fingers; toes
EXAMPLE:  Femoral- thigh
O The skin is superficial to the skeleton  Fibular- lateral part of leg
 Frontal – forehead
J. DEEP (INTERNAL)  Inguinal- area where thigh meets body
O Away from the bidy surface; more trunk ; groin
internal  Nasal- nose area
EXAMPLE:  Oral- mouth
 Orbital- eye area
 Patellar- anterior knee
 Pelvic- area overlying the pelvis
anteriorly
 Pubic- genital region
 Sternal- breastbone area
 Tarsal- ankle region
 Thoracic- chest
 Umbical- navel

POSTERIOR BODY LANDMARKS

 Calcaneal – heel of foot
 Cephalic- head
 Femoral- thigh
 Gluteal- buttock
  Lumbar
- area
of the
back
between ribs and hips
 Occipital- posterior surface of head
 Olecranal- posterior surface of elbow
 Popliteal- posterior knee area
 Sacral- area between hips
 Scapular- shoulder blade region
 Sural- the posterior surface of lower
leg; the calf
 Vertebral- area of the spine
BODY PLANES AND SECTIONS
3 TYPES OF PLANES
1. Sagittal section – a cut along the
lengthwise or longitudinal, plane of the
body, dividing the body into right and left
parts.
Midsagittal or median section- if the cut
is down the median plane of the body and
the right and lefts part are equal in size.
2. Frontal or coronal section- is a cut along a
lengthwise plane that divides the body
into anterior and posterior parts.
3. Transverse or cross Section-
A horizontal plane; divides the body or
any of its parts into upper and lower
parts.
BODY CAVITIES
Dorsal Body Cavity
2 subdivisions of Dorsal Cavity
1. Cranial cavity
- The space inside the bony skull;
2. Spinal cavity
- Extends from the cranial cavity
to the end of the vertebral
column;
-
Ventral Cavity
1. Thoracic Cavity
 - This is separated by a dome 9 REGIONS OF ABDOMINOPELVIC
shape muscle called diaphragm CAVOTY
- The organs in the thoracic cavity
( lungs, heart and others)
- A central region that separates
the lungs into right and left
cavities is called mediastinum.

2. Abdominopelvic Cavity
- Subdivided into superior
abdominal cavity containing the
stomach, liver, intestines and
other organs.
- Pelvic Cavity containing
reproductive organs, bladder
and rectum.

4 QUADRANTS OF
ABDOMINOPELVIC CAVITY

1. Right Hypochondriac Region

2. Epigastric Region
3. Left Hypochondriac Region
4. Right Lumbar Region
5. Umbilical Region
6. Left Lumbar Region
7. Right Inguinal (Iliac) Region
8. Hypogastric Region
9. Left Inguinal (Iliac) Region
1. Right Upper Quadrant (RUQ)
2. Left Upper Quadrant (LUQ)
3. Right Lower Quadrant (RLQ)
4. Left Lower Quadrant (LLQ)