INTRODUCTION TO ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

BY
UZZI HENRY
 GROUND RULES

• Students must meet up with 80% of class attendance

• Lateness to class will not be permitted. Once you are late remain outside
• Students are expected to pay rapt attention to lectures
• Use of phones during classes is prohibited except during online test assessment
• Signify by raising your hands if you must use the rest room or ask a question
• Do not shut anyone down when they ask question’s they are not clear about
• All assignments and test form part of your assessment and must be taken
seriously
• Actions against the college rules can earn you an expulsion degree.
WHAT I MUST DO TO PASS THIS COURSE

• Read consistently what I am taught

• Ask myself questions from what I read
• Master my diagrams and labeling
• Be optimistic that I can read and understand it
• Use the Library
• Do my assignments
• Don’t skip a class
 OUTLINE

 Definition of terms
 Objectives
 Organization of the human body
 Anatomical positions-planes
 Body cavities
 Resources for further reading
 DEFINITION OF TERMS

• Anatomy: It is the study of the structure and formation of the

human body. Body structures can be seen, felt, and examined
closely. You don’t need to imagine what they look like
• Physiology: It is the study of the normal functions of the
human body I.e how the body parts work and carry out their
life-sustaining activities.
 OBJECTIVES

At the end of this course, students should be able to:

 Know the organization of human body
 Know anatomical planes
 Describe the body cavities
 ORGANIZATION OF THE HUMAN BODY

Introduction
• The human body includes the entire structure of the human being
and it consist of the head, neck, trunk (thorax and abdomen),
upper limb and lower limb.
• Every part of the body is composed of various types of cell. E.g
bone cells, RBC, stem cells, muscle cells, sperm cells and nerve cell
• The composition of the human body is made up of some elements
such as calcium, carbon and phosphorus.
 ORGANIZATION OF THE HUMAN BODY CONT’D

Structure
• The skeletal structure frames the overall shape of the body and is influenced by
the distribution of muscle and fat tissues.
Composition
• The adult human body contains an approximate of 60% water and this makes up
a significant proportion of the body. This account for the extracellular fluid,
intracellular and interstitial fluid
 ORGANIZATION OF THE HUMAN BODY CONT’D

Chemical level

• The simplest level of organization within the human body is the

chemical level which is made up of atoms and molecules. Atoms
being the smallest unit of matter make up the building blocks of
elements like C, H, O and N present in compounds like proteins,
carbohydrates and lipids.
ORGANIZATION OF THE HUMAN BODY CONT’D

Cellular level
• The cell is the smallest structural and functional living unit of the human
body. The cellular level is considered when a variety of molecules
combine to form the fluid and organelles of a body cell.
• All living structures of human anatomy contain cells, and almost all
functions of human physiology are performed in cells or are initiated by
cells
 ORGANIZATION OF THE HUMAN BODY CONT’D

Tissue level
• A tissue is a group of many similar cells that work together to perform a
specific function.
Organ level
• An organ is an anatomically distinct structure of the body composed of
two or more tissue types, which forms the organ level of organization.
• Each organ performs one or more specific physiological functions. E.g
the kidney
 ANATOMICAL STRUCTURE OF THE HUMAN BODY

Head and Neck

• This includes everything above the thoracic inlets and is
composed of the following internal organs: Brain, Thyroid
gland, eyes, pituitary gland and parathyroid gland.
Upper Limb
• Include the hands, forearm, elbow, arm and shoulder.
 ANATOMICAL STRUCTURE OF THE HUMAN BODY CONT’D

Lower limb
• This includes structure below the inguinal ligament which are the hips, thigh,
heel, knee, leg, ankle and foot.
Thorax
• This is the region of the chest from the thoracic inlet to the thoracic
diaphragm.
• Organs in the thorax include the heart, lungs, esophagus, and thymus gland.
 ANATOMICAL STRUCTURE OF THE HUMAN BODY CONT’D

Abdomen
• This extends from the thoracic diaphragm to the pelvic inlet. Organs of the
abdomen include the liver, small intestine, large intestine, gall bladder, stomach,
kidneys, appendix, spleen, adrenal glands, and pancreas.
Back
• This includes the spinal cord and its component, vertebral column and
intervertebral disc.
 ANATOMICAL STRUCTURE OF THE HUMAN BODY CONT’D

Pelvis and Perineum

• The pelvis consists of everything from the pelvic inlet to the pelvic
diaphragm, while the perineum is the region between the sex organs and the
anus. The organs of the pelvis and perineum include urinary bladder, prostate
gland, testes, ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus and vagina.
 ANATOMICAL DIRECTIONAL TERMINOLOGY

 Superior (cranial, cephalic): toward the head. For example, the heart is
superior to the liver, the nose is superior to the mouth

 Inferior (caudal): toward the tail end of the body. For example, the
stomach is inferior to the lungs.

 Anterior (ventral): toward the front of the body. For example, the trachea
is anterior to the esophagus
 ANATOMICAL DIRECTIONAL TERMINOLOGY CONT’D

 Posterior (dorsal): towards the back of the body. For example, the
rectum is posterior to the urinary bladder.

 Medial: near the mid-line of body. For example, the heart is medial to
the lungs.

 Lateral: away from the mid-line of body. For example, the kidneys are
lateral to the spine
DIAGRAM SHOWING THE DIRECTIONS OF THE BODY
 ANATOMICAL DIRECTIONAL TERMINOLOGY CONT’D

 Proximal: closer to the origin. For example, the knee is proximal to the foot.

 Distal: farther from origin. For example, the palm is distal to the elbow.

 External: outside or exterior to. For example, the ribs are external to the
lungs.

 Internal: within or interior to. For example, the brain is internal to the skull.
 ANATOMICAL DIRECTIONAL TERMINOLOGY CONT’D

 Superficial: towards the surface. For the example, the skin is the most
superficial organ.
 Deep: within or interior to. For example, the deep veins of the leg are
surrounded by muscles.
 Central: the main part. For example, the brain is part of the central nervous
system.
 Peripheral: extending from the main part. For example, nerves in the arm are
part of the peripheral nervous system
 ANATOMICAL BODY POSITIONS

Prone Position

• This is when the body is lying face down on the stomach.

Supine Position
• This is when the body is lying face up on the back
 ANATOMICAL PLANES

• Anatomical planes are imaginary planes that intersect the body,

creating various cuts or slices of various organs and structures.

Mid-sagittal/median

• Vertical plane passing through the centre of the body (midline)

that cuts it longitudinally into right and left halves.
 ANATOMICAL PLANES CONT’D
Sagittal
• Arbitrary vertical plane passing through the body parallel to the midline, slicing it
longitudinally into right and left parts. To aid your understanding, imagine that you are slicing
an apple - each slide is a sagittal plane.
Coronal (frontal)
• Vertical plane at right angle to the sagittal plane that divides the body into anterior (front)
and posterior (back) portions.
Transverse (axial)
• Horizontal plane at right angles to the sagittal and frontal planes, slicing the body into a
superior (upper) and inferior (lower) portions. The obtained cuts are transverse or axial
views.
DIAGRAM SHOWING THE PLANES OF THE BODY
 BODY CAVITIES

• Many anatomical structures are housed inside open fluid filled spaces, or cavities, located
throughout the body. The most important ones are located axially, meaning inside the
skull, vertebral column, thorax, and abdomen. Cavities compartmentalize the body, they
also protect and lubricate organs; reducing friction during organ movement.

• The human body has two cavitary groups - anterior and posterior. The latter is composed
of two cavities called the cranial cavity and vertebral canal, which are continuous with
each other and contain the central nervous system (brain plus spinal cord). It is filled with
cerebrospinal fluid which bathes the central nervous system.
 BODY CAVITY CONT’D
Anterior (Ventral) Cavity: The thoracic cavity, abdominal cavity and pelvic cavity all make up the anterior or
ventral cavity.
1. Thoracic Cavity
 Anteriorly: The sternum and costal cartilage of the ribs
 Laterally: The twelve (12) pairs of ribs and the intercostal muscles
 Posteriorly: The thoracic vertebrae
 Superiorly: The structure forming the floor of the neck
 Inferiorly: The abdominal diaphragm
 Content: The heart, 2 lungs, one trachea, the thoracic oesophagus (gullet), the aorta, two (2) bronchi,
superior and inferior vena cava, vagus nerves and phrenic nerves
 BODY CAVITIES CONT’D

2. Abdominal Cavity
 Anteriorly: Muscles of the anterior abdominal wall
 Posteriorly: Lumbar vertebrae and the muscles of the posterior abdominal wall
 Laterally: The lower ribs and parts of the muscle of the abdominal wall
 Superiorly: The abdominal diaphragm
 Inferiorly: Continues with the pelvic cavity abdominal aorta
• Content: Stomach, small intestine, most of the large intestine, the liver, gall bladder,
the bile duct, two (2) kidneys with ureters, the spleen and adrenal glands
 BODY CAVITIES CONT’D

3. Pelvic Cavity
 Anteriorly: The pelvic bones
 Laterally: The innominate bones
 Posteriorly: The sacrum and coccyx
 Superiorly: It continues with the abdominal cavity
 Inferiorly: The pelvic diaphragm
 Content: Sigmoid colon, rectum, urinary bladder, anus, reproductive organs for male, we
have the prostate gland, the testis, for the female, we have the ovaries, uterus, fallopian
tube.
 BODY CAVITIES CONT’D

Posterior (Dorsal) Cavity: The cranial cavity and vertebral canal make up the posterior or dorsal
cavity
1. Cranial cavity
 Anteriorly: 1 Frontal bone
 Laterally: 2 Temporal Bones
 Posteriorly: 1 Occipital Bone
 Superiorly: 2 parietal bones
 Inferiorly: 1 sphenoid bone and 1 ethmoid bone
 Content: The brain
 BODY CAVITIES CONT’D

2. Vertebral Canal
 Anteriorly: The vertebral column
 Posteriorly: The vertebral column
 Superiorly: Continues with the cranial cavity
 Inferiorly: The pelvic bone
 Content: Spinal Cord.
 NEXT CLASS

 The cell (cell theory, cell properties, cell division),

 Human genetics
 Tissues and membranes types (characteristics, special
adaptation),

• Organs and systems

 RESOURCES FOR FURTHER LEARNING

• Richard LD, Wayne AV, Adam WM. Grays Anatomy for student’s 4 th edition
• Frank H, Netter MD. Atlas of Human Anatomy 7 th Edition
• Jennifer B, Neal C, Andrea S. Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology for
Nursing practice
• Ashalatha PR, Deepa G. Textbook of Anatomy and Physiology for Nurses 4 th
edition.
• Ross and Wilson Anatomy and Physiology in health and illness 13 th edition
 ASSIGNMENT

• With a well labelled diagram, describe the body cavities

THANK YOU
1. Body cavities
• a. The axial portion of the body includes the cranial cavity, the vertebral canal, the thoracic cavity, and the abdominopelvic cavity.
• b. The diaphragm separates the thoracic and abdominopelvic cavities.
• c. The organs in a body cavity are called viscera.
• d. The mediastinum separates the thoracic cavity into right and left compartments.
• e. Body cavities in the head include the oral, nasal, orbital, and middle ear cavities.
• 2. Thoracic and abdominopelvic membranes a. Thoracic membranes (1) Pleural membranes line the thoracic cavity (parietal pleura) and
cover each lung (visceral pleura).
• Pericardial membranes surround the heart (parietal pericardium) and cover its surface (visceral pericardium). (3) The pleural and
pericardial cavities are the potentialspaces between the respective parietal and visceral membranes. b. Abdominopelvic membranes (1)
Peritoneal membranes line the abdominopelvic cavity (parietal peritoneum) and cover the organs inside (visceral peritoneum). (2) The
peritoneal cavity is the potential space between the parietal and visceral membranes