CHAPTER 1: HUMAN ORGANISM
ANATOMY
• the study of body structure
• from Latin word “Anatomia” means to
dissect
PHYSIOLOGY
• the study of processes and functions of
the body
1. Systemic Physiology – focuses on the
functions of organ system
2. Cellular Physiology – focuses on the
processes inside cells
IMPORTANCE OF ANAPHY
It understands how the body:
• Responds to stimuli
• Environmental changes
• Environmental cues
• Diseases
• Injury
Maintains stable, internal conditions despite
continually changing environment
TYPES OF ANATOMY
1. Systemic – studies body systems
2. Regional – studies body regions
3. Surface – studies external features, e.g.,
bone projections
4. Anatomical Imaging – using
technologies (x-ray, ultrasound, MRI) to
create pictures of internal structures
STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL
ORGANIZATION OF THE HUMAN BODY
6 Levels
1.Chemical level
✓ Smallest level
✓ Atoms, chemical bonds, molecules
2.Cell level
✓ Cells – basic unit of life
✓ Cells contain smaller structures inside
them called organelles
✓ Organelles carry out particular
functions, such as digestion and
movement for the cell
3. Tissue level
✓ Tissues - group of cells with similar
structure and function plus extracellular
substances they release
✓ Four broad types:
1. Epithelial
2. Connective
3. Muscular
4. Nervous
4. Organ level
✓ Organs composed of two or more tissue
types acting together to perform
functions
5. Organ system level
✓ Group of organs contributing to some
function
6. Organism level
✓ Organism is any living thing as a whole
✓ All organ systems working together
ORGAN SYSTEMS: OVERVIEW
1. Integumentary system – skin
2. Skeletal system – bones
3. Muscular system – muscles
4. Lymphatic system – immune system
5. Respiratory system – lungs, oxygen, CO2
6. Digestive system – digestion
7. Nervous system – brain, spinal cord, nerves
8. Endocrine system – glands, hormones
9. Cardiovascular system – heart, blood
10. Urinary system – kidneys, urethra, bladder
11. Reproductive system – sex organs
CHARACTERISTICS OF LIFE
Collectively, all living species show:
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 CHAPTER 1: HUMAN ORGANISM

1. Organization – functional interrelationships ✓ set points for some variables can be

between parts temporarily adjusted depending on
body activities, as needed:
2. Metabolism Examples: cause of change
✓ sum of all chemical and physical changes • body temp fever
sustaining an organism • heart rate exercise
✓ ability to acquire and use energy
NEGATIVE FEEDBACK
in support of these changes
→ Mechanism that maintains homeostasis
3. Responsiveness
→ Negative feedback response:
✓ ability to sense and respond to Detection: of deviation away from set
environmental changes point
✓ includes both external and internal
movements
Correction: reversal of deviation toward
4. Growth
set point and normal range
✓ increase in size
3 COMPONENTS:
✓ size of cells, group of cells, extracellular
materials 1. receptors – monitors the value of a variable,
such as body temp by detecting stimuli
5. Development
2. control center – determines the set point for
✓ changes in form and size
the variable and receives input from the
✓ changes in cell structure and function
receptor of the variable (e.g., part of brain)
form generalized to specialized
(differentiation) 3. effector – can adjust the value of the variable
when directed by the control center (e.g., sweat
6. Reproduction
glands)
✓ formation of new cells and new
POSITIVE FEEDBACK
organisms
✓ generation of new individuals → Occur when response to the original
✓ tissue repair stimulus results in the deviation from
HOMEOSTASIS the set point becoming even greater
→ Sometimes not directly use for
✓ maintenance of constant internal homeostasis
environment → Example: childbirth
✓ balance
✓ variables – measures of body properties
that may change in value (e.g., body
temp., heart rate, blood pressure)
✓ set point – normal/average value of
variable
✓ normal range – extent of increase or
decrease around a set point (e.g., over
time, body temp. fluctuates around a
set point about 98.6°

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 CHAPTER 1: HUMAN ORGANISM

TERMINOLOGY AND BODY PLAN BODY PLANES

BODY POSITIONS
Anatomical Position – person standing upright
with the face directed forward, upper limbs
hanging to the sides, palm hands facing forward
• Supine – person lying face up
• Prone – person lying face down
DIRECTIONAL TERMS
→ Describe parts of the body relative to
each other
• superior – above
• inferior – below
• anterior – front (ventral)
• posterior – back (dorsal)
• proximal – close to
• distal – far from
• medial – close to midline
• lateral – away from midline
• superficial – structure close to the
surface of the body
• deep – toward interior of the body
BODY REGIONS
• upper limbs – arm, forearm, wrist, hand
• lower limbs – thigh, leg, ankle, foot
• central region – head, neck, trunk
Abdomen Divisions:
1. right-upper 3. right-lower
1. sagittal plane (vertical)
→ separate body into half
→ sagittal means “flight of an arrow”
2. median plane (midsagittal)
→ passes through midline of the body
dividing into equal right & left halves
3. transverse (horizontal) plane
→ dividing body into superior and inferior
4. frontal (coronal) plane
→ divides body into front and back halves
Section Through an Organ
1. longitudinal section – cut along the length of
the organ
2. transverse section (cross section)
→ cuts completely through an organ
→ similar to cutting hotdog into round
pieces
3. oblique section – cut diagonally
BODY CAVITIES
1. thoracic cavity
→ space within chest wall and diaphragm
→ heart, lungs

2. left-upper 4. left-lower 2. mediastinum

Abdomen Subdivisions: → space between lungs

→ heart, major blood vessels, thymus,
1. epigastric 6. left lumbar trachea, esophagus
2. right hypochondriac 7. hypogastric 3. abdominal cavity
3. left hypochondriac 8. right iliac → spaces between diaphragm and pelvis
4. umbilical 9. Left iliac → stomach, intestines, liver, spleen

5. right lumbar 4. pelvic cavity

→ space between pelvis
→ urinary bladder, repro. organs, large
intestines, urethra

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 CHAPTER 1: HUMAN ORGANISM

SEROUS MEMBRANES
→ line truck cavities, cover organs, double
layered
→ parietal serous membrane – layer that
lines the walls of the cavities
→ visceral serous membrane – layer cover
organs
THORACIC CAVITY MEMBRANES
1. pericardium (pericardial cavity)- around
heart
• visceral pericardium – covers heart
• parietal pericardium – thick, fibrous
• pericardial cavity – reduces friction
2. pleura (pleural cavity) – around lungs
• visceral pleura – covers lungs
• parietal pleura – lines inner wall of
thorax
• pleural cavity – reduces friction,
adheres lungs to thoracic wall
3. peritoneum (peritoneal cavity) – around
abdominopelvic cavity and its organs
• visceral peritoneum
→ covers, anchor organs
→ double layers called
mesenteries
• parietal peritoneum – lines inner wall of
abdominopelvic cavity
• peritoneal cavity – reduces friction

4 | SOPHIA MARGARETTE CAWALING | UIC MLS