Anatomy and Physiology

Reviewer

 Anatomy- is the scientific discipline that investigates the stricture area of the body. The word “anatomy”
means to dissect, or cut apart and separate the parts of the body to study. Anatomy covers a wide range of
studies, including the structure of the body parts, their microscopic organization, and the processes bwhich
they develop. In addition, anatomy examines the relationship between the structure of a body part and its
function.

2 Basic approaches of Anatomy:

1. Systemic anatomy – is the study of the body by systems and is the approach taken in this and most other
introductory textbooks.
E.g. muscular, nervous, skeletal and circulatory system.
2. Regional Anatomy – is the study of the organization of the body by areas. With each region, such as the
head, abdomen or arms, or system are studied simultaneously. It is the approach taken in most medical and
dental schools.

 Surface anatomy and anatomical imaging are used to examine the internal structure of a living person

 Surface Anatomy is the study of external features, such as bony projections which serves as landmarks for
locating deeper structures.
 Anatomic Imaging involves the use of x-rays, ultrasound, MRI and other technologies to create pictures of
internal structures.

 Physiology is the scientific discipline that deals with the processes or functions of living things. It is important
in Physiology to recognize structures as dynamic rather than static, or unchanging

Major goals of Physiology:

1. To understand how the body maintains condition within a narrow range of values in presence of a
continually changing environment

 Physiology id divided according to:

1. The organisms involve
2. The levels of organization within a given organism.

 Human Physiology is the study of a specific organism, the human whereas cellular and systemic physiology
are examples of physiology that emphasize specific organizational levels.

Structural and Functional Organization

(the body can be studied at six structural levels: the chemical, cell, tissue, organ, organ system and organism)

 The chemical level of organization involves interactions among atoms and their combinations into
molecules. The function of a molecule is related intimately to its structure. For example, collagen molecules
are strong, rope like fibers that give skin structural strength and flexibility.
 Cells are the basic structural and functional units of organisms, such as plants and animals. Molecules can
combine to form organelles, which are the small structures that make up cells.
E.g. the nucleus contains the hell’s hereditary information and mitochondria manufacture adenosine
triphosphate (ATP), which is a molecule used by cells for a source of energy.
 A tissue is a group of similar cells and the materials that surround them. The characteristics of the cells and
surrounding materials determine the functions of the tissue. The many tissues that make up the body are
classified into four primary types: epithelial, connective, muscle, and nervous.
 An organ is composed of two or more tissue types that together perform one or more common function.
The urinary bladder, skin. Stomach, eye and heart.
 An organ system is a group of organs classified as a unit because of a common function or set of functions
 Organism is any living thing considered as a whole, whether composed of one cell, such as bacterium, or
trillions of cells, such as a human