Chapter 1

The Human
Organism

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 1.1 & 1.2 Anatomy &
Physiology
•  Anatomy:
- study of structure
- means to dissect, cut
apart and separate parts
of the body for study
•  Physiology:
study of function
•  Anatomy and Physiology
work together. 3
 What is the Importance of
Anatomy and Physiology?
•  Basis for understanding
diseases
-career in health sciences
-evaluate recommended treatments

•  Allows an understanding of
how the body works and
responds to stimuli
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 Types of Anatomy
Two basic approaches Two general ways to
•  Systemic: examine internal
structures of a living
studies body systems (11)
person: (for diagnosis)
•  Regional: Surface:
studies body regions studies external
(medical schools) features, Ex. Bone
projections
Anatomical imaging:
uses x-rays,
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ultrasound, MRI’s
 Types of Physiology
-deals with processes and functions of living
things
•  Human physiology
-Cellular physiology
-Systemic Physiology

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1.3 Structural Levels of Body

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 Chemical level: Atoms
•  smallest component of
an element that has the
chemical properties of
the element.
•  “building blocks of
matter”
•  Atomic Theory: all
matter is composed of
atoms.
 Chemical level: Molecules and
Macromolecules
•  molecules are atoms
held together by
chemical bonds and are
electrically neutral.
•  organic
macromolecules :
Carbohydrates, proteins,
lipids, and nucleic acids
 Cell Level
Three tenets to the cell
theory:
•  All living organisms are
composed of one or
more cells.
•  The cell is the most
basic unit of life.
•  All cells arise from pre-
existing, living cells, by
biogenesis.
 Tissue level
•  many cells of the same
type associate with
each other to form
tissues
•  Histology: branch of
biology that studies the
different tissues in the
body
 Organs and Organ System Level
•  organs: composed of
two or more types of
tissues joined in a
structural unit to serve a
common function
•  organ system: group of
organs classified as a
unit because of a
common function or set
of functions.
Figure 1.2
 Organism
•  all living things can be called
organism.
•  possess the set of
characteristics that define life.
•  Biologists classify organisms
belonging to a particular
species.
•  members of the same species
are closely related genetically.
 1.4 Characteristics of Life
•  Organization
•  Metabolism
•  Responsiveness
•  Growth
•  Development
•  Reproduction

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 Organization
•  Organisms maintain an
internal order.
•  Cell: simplest unit of
organization.
Cell Theoryà states that
all organisms are made up
of cells
(Schleiden & Schwann)
Unicelluar: single cell; eg.
bacteria
Multicellular: may cells; eg.
animal and plant cells
 Metabolism
•  maintenance of
organizationà requires
energy
•  Metabolism: ability to use
energy to perform vital
functions eg: growth,
movement, and reproduction
•  Plants, algae, bacteria:
photosynthetic organisms
that can produce their own
nutrients.
 Responsiveness
•  ability of an organism to
sense changes in the
environment and make
adjustments that help
maintain its life.
•  Adaptation: processes and
structures by which
organisms adjust in short
term or long term changes
in their environment. eg:
sweating
 Growth and Development
•  Living things grow and
develop.
•  Growth: increase in size
of an organism and often
in the number of cells
•  Development: includes
all changes that take place
between conception and
death.
-Differentiation: change in
cell structure. Eg: Stem cell
 Reproduction
•  formation of new cells or
new organisms
•  without reproduction of
cells, growth and tissue
repair are impossible.
•  genes: locus or region in the
DNA that encodes for a
specific amino acid which is
expressed in the traits of
each individual organisms
 1.5 Homeostasis
•  What is it?
- maintenance of a constant internal env’t
- Ex. Body temp., BP, HR, BR
•  Variable:
- conditions that change
- Ex. Env’t temp.
•  Set point:
- ideal, normal value
- Ex. 120/80 for BP or 98.6o for body temp.
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 Homeostatic mechanisms
•  eg: sweating and shivering
•  coordinated functions of organ/ organ
systems in response to stimuli

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 Negative Feedback
•  What is it?
- mechanism that regulates homeostasis
- negative meaning a deviation from set point is
made smaller or
- Ex. Blood pressure

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Components of Negative Feedback
Stimulus: initiates homeostatic mechanism
•  Control center:
- brain
- establishes set point

•  Receptor:
detects changes (variable)

•  Effector:
responds to changes 30
32
 Positive Feedback
•  What is it?
- deviation from set point becomes greater
- makes a bad situation worse
- rarely found in healthy people

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34
Figure 1.6
 1.6 Body Positions
•  Anatomical position:
person standing erect with face and palms forward

•  Supine:
person lying face up

•  Prone:
person lying face down

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Tab. 1.1
Directional Terms
•  Superior:
above
•  Inferior:
below

•  Anterior:
front
•  Posterior:
back
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•  Medial:
close to midline
•  Lateral:
away from midline

•  Proximal:
close to point of attachment
•  Distal:
far from point of attachment

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Figure 1.7a

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Figure 1.7b
•  Superficial:
close to surface

•  Deep:
toward interior of body

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 Body Planes
•  Sagittal:
runs vertically and separates body into left and right
•  Midsagittal:
runs down the middle and divides body into equal left
and right halves
•  Transverse:
runs horizontally and separates body into top and bottom
•  Frontal:
runs vertically and separates body into anterior and
posterior

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Figure 1.10

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 Body Regions
•  Upper limbs:
upper arm, forearm, wrist, hand
•  Lower limbs:
thigh, lower leg, ankle, foot
•  Central:
head, neck, trunk
•  Trunk:
thoracic (chest), abdomen, pelvis
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Figure 1.8a
 Body Cavities
•  Thoracic cavity:
heart, lungs, thymus gland, esophagus, trachea
•  Mediastinum:
divides thoracic cavity into left and right
•  Abdominal cavity:
stomach, intestines, liver, spleen, pancreas,
kidneys
•  Pelvic cavity:
urinary bladder, reproductive organs, part of
large intestine 48
Figure 1.12
•  Pericardial cavity:
around heart

•  Pleural cavity:
around lungs

•  Peritoneal cavity:
around abdominopelvic cavity

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 Membranes
•  Mesentery:
double-layered membrane that covers organs
and anchors them to body wall

•  Serous membrane:
cover organs and line cavity walls

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Types of Serous Membranes
•  Visceral membrane:
covers organs

•  Parietal membrane:
lines cavity walls

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Figure 1.13b
Figure 1.14a
Figure 1.14b