Introduction to Human Anatomy & Physiology

THE HUMAN BODY• Anatomy

• Ana- up, temos/tomos- cutting – Dissections

• Study of the structures in thebody

• Physiology

• Physis- nature, logos- study

• Study of the functions of the body’s parts

Principle of Complementarity of Structure and Function

• The form of each body structure allows that structure to carry out its specific task– Function follows form, and form

follows function• Function always reflects structure• What a structure can do depends on

its specific form

The Anatomical Position

All of the following assume that the body is in the anatomical position

Standing (or lying) facing front (or up)

Feet together pointed forward

Palms up, thumbs pointing away from the body.

The body is subdivided into cavities based on position or

anatomical location:Axial Portion of Skeleton

•The Head/ Skull– Cranial– Facial (orbital, middle ear, nasal,

oral)

•The vertebral column•The Trunk/ rib cage

– Thoracic cavity– Abdominal cavity– Pelvic cavity

Body Cavities:1. Cranial

2. Vertebral

3. Thoracic

4. Pleural (ea. houses a lung)

5. Pericardial (encloses heart)

6. Abdominal

7. Pelvic

8. Scrotal

Appendicular Portion of 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 Surfaces

• Rear—Posterior/ Dorsal

• Front—Anterior/ Ventral

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– Splits the body into right and left

halves– Sagittal- any cut within that

plane

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

lower halves

Heart—section ?

Skull—section?

Name this head section!

Location Reference Words:*These are based on 2 body areas/parts

in relation to each other*

1. Superior = body parts above other parts

2. Inferior = body parts below other parts

3.Cranial = body parts near the head

4. Caudal (towards the tail) = body parts located near the sacral region of the spinal column (or near the tail bone)

5. Medial = body parts located near the middle or midline of the body

6. Lateral = body parts located away from the midline or middle of the body

7.Proximal = body parts close to the point of reference

8. Distal = body parts away from the point of reference

9.Superficial = toward the surface of the body

10.Deep = farther into the body

11.Plantar = on or towards the sole of the foot

12.Palmar = on or towards the palm of the hand

13. Anterior (Ventral)- towards the front

14. Posterior (Dorsal)- towards the back

Directional Movement Reference Words:

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

2. Adduction = to move (upper or lower limb) towards the mid-line of the body

3. Extension = straighten a limb

4. Flexion = bend a limb

Body Regions• We’ll be examining body region terms in lab

– Abdominal– acromial– Antebrachial– Antecubital– Axillary– Brachial– Carpal– Celiac– Cephalic– Gluteal– Pectoral– pedal