The Human Body is part of the Anatomy and Physiology section that provides High Yield information to High School students and College Students needed for the MCAT exam.
Terms
- – Anatomy: the study of body structure and relationships among structures
- – Physiology: the study of body function
Levels of Organization
- – Chemical level
- 1. atoms and molecules
- – Cells
- 1. the basic unit of all living things
- – Tissues
- 1. cells join together to perform a particular function
- – Organs
- 1. tissues join together to perform a particular function
- – Organ system
- 1. organs join together to perform a particular function
- – Organismal
- 1. the whole body
Organ Systems
| Circulatory System | The organ system that transports oxygen, waste, nutrients, hormones, heat, etc… around the body using the heart, blood, and blood vessels. |
| Digestive System | The organ system that breaks down food into energy for the body using the esophagus, stomach, large intestine, and small intestine. |
| Excretory System | The organ system that removes waste from your body and controls water balance. It consists of the kidneys, bladder, and ureters. |
| Endocrine System | The organ system that uses hormones to influence thoughts, behaviors, and actions. It is made up of glands and hormones. |
| Immune System | The organ system that protects the body against disease and infection using white blood cells and antibodies. |
| Integumentary System | The organ system that encloses our internal body structures and helps maintain body temperature. This system consists of the skin, mucous membranes, hair, and nails. |
| Lymphatic System | The organ system consists of lymph, lymph vessels, lymph nodes, and lymphatic tissue. This system helps protect against disease by making white blood cells and antibodies. |
| Muscular System | The organ system that works with the skeletal system to move our bodies. It is made up of muscles. |
| Nervous System | The organ system is made up of a network of nerve cells that carry the brain’s commands and impulses around the body using the brain, spinal cord, and nerve cells. |
| Reproductive System | The organ system involved in producing offspring. It is made up of female egg cells and ovaries and male sperm cells and testes. |
| Respiratory System | The organ system responsible for taking in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide using the lungs. |
| Skeletal System | The organ system that gives our bodies structure and protects major organs like the heart, lungs, and brain. It is made up of the skeleton. |
Anatomical Position
Regional Names
- – Axial region
- 1. head
- 2. neck
- 3. trunk
- a. thorax
- b. abdomen
- c. pelvis
- d. perineum
- – Appendicular region
- 1. limbs
Directional Terms
- – Superior (above) vs. Inferior (below)
- – Anterior (toward the front) vs. Posterior (toward the back)(Dorsal vs. Ventral)
- – Medial (toward the midline) vs. Lateral (away from the midline)
- – Intermediate (between a more medial and a more lateral structure)
- – Proximal (closer to the point of origin) vs. Distal (farther from the point of origin)
- – Superficial (toward the surface) vs. Deep (away from the surface)
Anatomical Plane
- – Frontal or coronal
- 1. divides into anterior/posterior
- – Sagittal
- 1. divides into right and left halves
- 2. includes midsagittal and parasagittal
- – Transverse or cross-sectional
- 1. divides into superior/inferior
Body Cavities
- – Dorsal
- 1. cranial cavity
- 2. vertebral cavity
- – Ventral
- 1. lined with serous membrane
- 2. viscera (organs) covered by serous membrane
- 3. thoracic cavity
- a. two pleural cavities contain the lungs
- b. pericardial cavity contains heart
- c. the cavities are defined by serous membrane
- d. mediastinum is the area between the pleurae, includes everything in thoracic cavity except lungs
- 4. abdominopelvic cavity
- a. abdominal cavity is lined by peritoneum (serous membrane), which also covers organs
- b. pelvic cavity has reproductive organs, bladder, portions of large intestine
- c. regions and quadrants
NCI (original) / Mysid (SVG) / Public domain
