Anatomy and Physiology Terms. Intro. to Anatomy and Physiology.

Anatomy and Physiology Terms

Intro. to Anatomy and Physiology

Anatomy• Branch of science dealing with

the form and structure of body parts.

Physiology • Branch of science that studies

body functions.

Appendicular• Upper and lower limbs

Axial• Head, neck, and trunk

Homeostasis • State of equilibrium in which

the internal environment of the body remains at a normal range.

Cellular Metabolism

Anabolism • Synthesis of larger molecules

from smaller molecules.

Synthesis • Building large molecules from

smaller ones.

Catabolism • Breakdown of larger molecules

into smaller ones.

Decomposition • The breakdown of molecules

into simpler compounds.

Oxidation • Process by which oxygen is

combined with another chemical.

Enzyme • Protein that catalyzes a

specific biochemical reaction.

Substrate • Target of enzyme action.

Organic • Carbon-containing molecules.

Inorganic • Chemical substances that lack

carbon and hydrogen.

Ion • Atom or molecule with an

electric charge.

Lipid • Fat, oil, or fatlike compound

that usually has fatty acids in its molecular structure.

Nucleic Acid • Substance composed of

boded nucleotides; RNA or DNA.

Cells

Cytoplasm • The contents of a cell

excluding the nucleus and cell membrane.

Organelle • Part of a cell that performs a

specialized function.

Nucleus • Cellular organelle enclosed by

a double-layer, porous membrane and containing DNA.

Differentiation • Cell specialization

Diffusion • Random movement of

molecules from a region of higher concentration toward one of lower concentration.

Facilitated Diffusion • Diffusion in which a carrier

molecule transports a substance across a cell membrane from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration.

Active Transport • Process that requires energy

to move a substance across a cell membrane, usually against the concentration gradient.

Osmosis • Diffusion of water through a

selectively permeable membrane in response to a concentration gradient.

Equilibrium • State of balance between two

opposing forces.

Endocytosis • Physiological process by

which a cell membrane envelopes a substance and draws it into the cell in a vesicle.

Exocytosis • Transport of a substance out

of a cell in a membrane-bound vesicle.

Phagocytosis • Process by which a cell

engulfs and digests solids.

Pinocytosis • Process by which a cell

engulfs droplets of fluid from its surroundings.

Mitosis • Division of a somatic cell (body

cell) to form two genetically identical cells.

Meiosis • Cell division that halves the

genetic material, resulting in egg and sperm cells (gametes).

Tissues

Epithelial Tissue • One of the basic types of

tissue that covers all free body surfaces.

Connective Tissue • Basic type of tissue that

consists of cells within an extracellular matrix, including bone, cartilage, blood, loose and fibrous connective tissue.

Adipose Tissue • Fat storing tissue.

Cartilage • Type of connective tissue in

which cells are located in the lacunae and are separated by a semisolid extracellular matrix.

Nervous Tissue • Neurons and neuroglial cells

composing the brain, spinal cord, and nerves.

Integumentary

Integumentary • Pertaining to the skin and its

accessory organs.

Epidermis • Outer epithelial layer of skin.

Dermis • The thick layer of skin beneath

the epidermis.

Subcutaneous Layer • Layer of tissue that is mostly

fat and beneath the skin; hypodermis.

Sebaceous Gland • Skin gland that secretes

sebum (oil).

Sweat Gland • Exocrine gland in skin that

secretes a mixture of water, salt, urea, and other bodily fluids.

Melanin • Dark pigment found in the skin

and hair.

Keratinization • Process by which cells form

fibrils of keratin and harden.

Arrector Pili Muscle • Smooth muscle in the skin

associated with a hair follicle (goose bumps).

Skeletal System

Spongy Bone • Bone that consists of bars and

plates separated by irregular spaces; cancellous bone.

Compact Bone • Dense tissue in which cells are

arranged in osteons with no apparent spaces.

Diaphysis • Shaft of the long bone.

Epiphysis • End of a long bone.

Periosteum • Fibrous connective tissue

covering the surface of the bone.

Medullary Cavity • Cavity containing marrow

within the diaphysis of a long bone.

Marrow • Connective tissue that

occupies space within bones that includes stem cells.

Articular Cartilage • Hyaline cartilage that covers

the ends of bones in synovial joints.

Intramembraneous Bone

• Bone that forms from membrane-like layers of primitive connective tissue.

Endochondral Bone • Bone that begins as hyaline

cartilage that is subsequently replaced by bone tissue.

Osteocyte • Mature bone cell.

Synovial Joint • Feely movable joint.

Synovial Fluid • Fluid that they synovial

membrane secretes.

Synovial Membrane • Membrane that forms the inner

lining of a freely moveable joint.

Muscular System

Actin • A protein in a muscle fiber that

forms filaments that slide between filaments of the protein myosin, contracting muscle fibers.

Myosin • A protein that, with actin,

contracts and relaxes muscle fibers.

Sarcomere • Structural and functional unit

of a myofibril.

Neurotransmitter • Chemical that an axon end

secretes to stimulate a muscle fiber to contract or a neuron to fire an impluse.

Nervous System

Neuron • Nerve cell

Neuroglial Cell • Specialized cell of the nervous

system that produces myelin, communicates between cells, and maintains the ionic environment, as well as provides other functions.

Soma • Body of the neuron that

contains the nucleus.

Axon • A nerve fiber; conducts a

nerve impulse away from a neuron.

Dendrite • Process of a neuron that

receives input from other neurons.

Meninges • Membrane that covers the

brain and spinal cord.

Synapse • Functional connection

between the axon of one neuron and the dendrite or cell body of another neuron or the membrane of another cell type.

Reflex • Rapid, automatic response to

a stimulus.

Action Potential • Sequence of electrical

changes that occurs in a portion of a nerve cell membrane that is exposed to a stimulus that exceeds the membrane’s threshold.

Sclera • White fibrous outer layer of the

eyeball.

Cornea • Transparent anterior portion of

the outer layer of the eye wall.

Retina • Inner layer of the eye wall that

contains the visual receptors.

Rods • Type of light receptor that

provides colorless vision.

Cones • Color receptor in the retina of

the eye.

Cochlea • Portion of the inner ear that

has hearing receptors.

Endocrine System

Hormone • Substance secreted by an

endocrine gland and transported in the blood.

Target Cell • Cell with specific receptors on

which a hormone exerts its effect.

Cardiovascular System and Blood

Atrium • Chamber of the heart that

receives blood from veins.

Ventricle • Cavity, such as brain

ventricles filled with cerebrospinal fluid, or heart ventricles that contain blood.

Arteriole • Small branch of an artery that

communicates with a capillary network.

Capillary • A small blood vessel that

connects an arteriole and a venule.

Venule • Vessel that carries blood from

capillaries to a vein.

Plasma • Fluid portion of circulating

blood.

Erythrocyte • Red blood cell

Leukocyte • White blood cell

Platelet • Cytoplasmic fragment formed

in the bone marrow that helps blood clot.

Antigen • Chemical that stimulates B

lymphocytes to produce antibodies.

Antibody • Protein that B cells of the

immune system produce in response to the presence of a nonself antigen; it reacts with the antigen.

Respiratory System

Inspiration • Breathing in.

Expiration • Expulsion of air from the lungs.

Bronchi • Branches of the trachea that

lead to the lungs.

Alveoli • Air sac of a lung.

Digestive System

Alimentary Canal • Tubular portion of the digestive

tract that leads from the mouth to the anus.

Peristalisis • Rhythmic waves of muscular

contraction in the walls of certain tubular organs (digestion).

Bile • Fluid secreted by the liver and

stored in the gallbladder (emulsifies fats).

Villi • Tiny, finger-like projection that

extends outward from the inner lining of the small intestines.

Urinary System

Nephron • Functional unit of the kidney.

Reproductive System

Puberty • Stage of development in which

the reproductive organs become functional.

Ovulation • Release of an egg cell from a

mature ovarian follicle.

Progesterone • Female hormone secreted by

the corpus luteum of the ovary and the placenta.

Estrogen • Hormones that stimulate the

development of female secondary sex characteristics and produces an environment suitable for fertilization, implantation, and growth of an embryo.

Testosterone • Male sex hormone secreted by

the interstitial cells of the testes.

Zygote • Cell produced by the fusion of

an egg and sperm; a fertilized egg.

Placenta • Structure that attaches the

fetus to the uterine wall, providing for delivery of nutrients to and removal of wastes from the fetus.

Amniotic Fluid • Fluid within the amniotic cavity

that surrounds the developing fetus.

Diseases to Know

Jaundice • A yellowish skin tone, which

can indicate live malfunction.

Diabetes • High blood glucose level and

glucose in the urine due to a deficiency of insulin.

Goiter • Enlarged thyroid gland due to

an iodine deficiency.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

• A group of conditions that can occur in a person whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy.

Diagrams to Know

Divisions of the Body

Cell

Skin

Heart

Brain