INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY- Notes part 1

Anatomy: Ana- up, temos/tomos- cutting -Dissections

• Study of the structures in the bodyPhysiology: Physis- nature

logos- study• Study of the functions of the body’s parts (how something works)

Principle of Complementarity of Structure and Function:• The form of each body structure allows that structure to carry out its specific

function– Function follows form, and form follows function

• Function always reflects structure• What a structure can do depends on its specific form

Anatomical Position: Body planes, regions, cavities and directional terms assume that the body is in the anatomical position.

The anatomical position is described as: Standing (or lying) facing front (or up) Feet together pointed forward Palms up, thumbs pointing away from the body.

The SKELETON is divided into:Axial Skeleton:

The Head/ Skull- Cranial- Facial (orbital, middle ear, nasal, oral)

The vertebral columnThe Trunk/ rib cage

- thoracic cavity- abdominal cavity- pelvic cavity

Appendicular Skeleton:• The right and left upper limbs (arms)• The right and left lower limbs (legs)

* Includes shoulder & hip bones that attach the limbs to the axial skeleton

BODY PLANES & REGIONSThe body is subdivided into regions, planes, and cavities based on position or anatomical location: Body Planes : Just as there are three planes in space (3 dimensions) the body has 3 spatial planes

1. Coronal or Frontal – Splits body into anterior and posterior halves

2. Midsagittal (sagittal)– Splits the body into right and left halves– Sagittal – any cut within than plane

3. Transverse or Horizontal– Divides the body into upper and lower halves

The Axial Skeleton Contains Body Cavities:

1. Cranial (contains the brain)2. Vertebral (contains the spinal cord)3. Thoracic (contains the heart & lungs)4. Pleural (ea. houses a lung)5. Pericardial (encloses heart)6. Abdominal (contains digestive organs)7. Pelvic (contains bladder & female repro.)

8. Scrotal (external; contains male repro.)*Both the pleural and pericardial cavities are within the thoracic cavity.Body Regions: *You will need to know many of these below for your test! See Body Plan Lab Handout for complete list.

Other Types of Anatomy Vocabulary Include:• Body surfaces• Location reference words• Directional terms

Body Surfaces : - Rear—Posterior/ Dorsal- Front—Anterior/ Ventral

Location Reference Words: *These are based on 2 body areas/parts in relation to each other*

Superior = body parts above other parts

Inferior = body parts below other parts

Cranial = body parts near the head Caudal = (towards the tail) body parts located near the

sacral region of the spinal column (or near the tail bone) Medial = body parts located towards the middle or midline of the body Lateral = body parts located away from the midline or middle of the body Proximal = body parts close to the point of reference

(“point of attachment”) Distal = body parts away from the point of reference Superficial = toward the surface of the body Deep = away from the surface of the body Plantar = on or towards the sole of the foot Palmar = on or towards the palm of the hand Anterior (Ventral) = towards the front Posterior (Dorsal) = towards the back Supine = lying face up Prone = lying face down

A Few Directional Movement Reference Words (more to come in another unit):

Abduction: to move (an upper or lower limb) away from the mid-line of the body

Adduction: to move (an upper or lower limb) towards the mid-line of the body

Extension: to increase the angle between bones (straighten a limb) Flexion: to decrease the angle between bones (bend a limb)