HUMAN BODY

• Anatomy

  • Gross or macroscopic
  • Microscopic
  • Developmental
• Physiology


  • Considers the operation of specific organ systems
  • Focuses on the functions of the body, often at the cellular or molecular level
• Developmental Anatomy

  • Traces structural changes throughout life
  • Embryology - study of developmental changes of the body before birth
• Gross Anatomy

  • Regional
  • Systemic
  • Surface
• Homeostasis is the ability to maintain a relatively stable internal environment in an ever-changing outside world
• Principle of Complementarity: Function always reflects structure. What a structure can do depends on its specific form
• Anatomical Position: Body erect, feet slightly apart, palms facing forward, thumbs point away from the body
• Microscopic Anatomy

  • Cytology
  • Histology
• Physiology


  Study of the function of the body’s structural machinery
• Anatomy


  Study of the structure of body parts and their relationships to one another
• Levels of Structural Organization

  • Chemical
  • Cellular
  • Tissue
  • Organ
  • Organ system
  • Organismal
• Directional Terms

  • Superior and inferior - toward and away from the head, respectively
  • Anterior and posterior - toward the front and back of the body
  • Medial, lateral, and intermediate - toward the midline, away from the midline, and between a more medial and lateral structure
  • Proximal and distal - closer to and farther from
• Understanding physiology also requires a knowledge of physics, which explains electrical currents, blood pressure, and the way muscle uses bone for movement
• Specialized Branches of Anatomy

  • Pathological anatomy - study of structural changes caused by disease
  • Radiographic anatomy - study of internal structures visualized by X-ray
  • Molecular biology - study of anatomical structures at a sub-cellular level
• Homeostatic Imbalance: Disturbance of homeostasis or the body’s normal equilibrium
• Medial

  Toward the midline
• Intermediate


  Between a more medial and lateral structure
• Anterior


  Toward the front of the body
• Deep


  Away from the body surface
• r

  Toward the head
• Regional Terms: Posterior View

  • Not provided
• Distal


  Farther from the origin of the body
• Humans vary slightly in both external and internal anatomy
• Body Cavities

  1. Thoracic cavity is subdivided into pleural cavities, the mediastinum, and the pericardial cavity: Pleural cavities each house a lung, Mediastinum contains the pericardial cavity and surrounds the remaining thoracic organs, Pericardial cavity encloses the heart

  2. The abdominopelvic cavity is separated from the superior thoracic cavity by the dome-shaped diaphragm and is composed of two subdivisions: Abdominal cavity contains the stomach, intestines, spleen, liver, and other organs, Pelvic cavity lies within the pelvis and contains the bladder, reproductive organs, and rectum
• Lateral


  Away from the midline
• Nerves or blood vessels may be somewhat out of place
• Extreme anatomical variations are seldom seen
• Small muscles may be missing
• Body Cavities

  1. Dorsal cavity protects the nervous system and is divided into two subdivisions: Cranial cavity within the skull encases the brain, Vertebral cavity within the vertebral column encases the spinal cord

  2. Ventral cavity houses the internal organs (viscera) and is divided into two subdivisions: Thoracic and Abdominopelvic cavities
• Posterior


  Toward the back of the body
• Proximal


  Closer to the origin of the body
• Superficial


  Toward the body surface
• from the head


  Away from the head
• Abdominopelvic Regions

  • Umbilical
  • Epigastric
  • Hypogastric
  • Right and left iliac or inguinal
  • Right and left lumbar
  • Right and left hypochondriac
• Body Planes

  1. Sagittal divides the body into right and left parts

  2. Midsagittal or medial is a sagittal plane that lies on the midline

  3. Frontal or coronal divides the body into anterior and posterior parts

  4. Transverse or horizontal (cross section) divides the body into superior and inferior parts

  5. Oblique section cuts made diagonally
• Ventral Body Cavity Membranes

  Parietal serosa lines internal body walls, Visceral serosa covers the internal organs, Serous fluid separates the serosae
• Regional Terms: Anterior View

  • Axial
  • Appendicular
  • Specific regional terminology
• Other Body Cavities

  • Oral and digestive - mouth and cavities of the digestive organs, Nasal - located within and posterior to the nose, Orbital - house the eyes, Middle ear - contain bones (ossicles) that transmit sound vibrations, Synovial - joint cavities
• Abdominopelvic Quadrants


  • Right upper (RUQ)
  • Left upper (LUQ)
  • Right lower (RLQ)
  • Left lower (LLQ)