BIOLOGY 5: ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

CHECKPOINT

1. What body function might a respiratory therapist strive to improve? What structures are
involved?

● A respiratory therapist works to improve the gas exchange of CO₂ for O₂.

● The structures involved include: nasal passages, mouth, throat, (airway

management), larynx, pharynx, trachea, lungs, alveoli, bronchial tubes and to
same extent the heart. All structures are part of the respiratory process to some
degree. Balancing the acid-base make up is also part of the respiratory therapist
concern if the respiratory system is compromised.

2. Give your own example of how the structure of a part of the body is related to its function.

● The structure of the heart reflects its job of pumping blood throughout the
body, while the structure of the lungs maximizes the efficiency with which they
can take up oxygen and release carbon dioxide.

3. Define the following terms: atom, molecule, cell, tissue, organ, system, and organism.
● ATOM -smallest unit of matter. Found at chemical level of structural hierarchy.
Smallest unit into which matter can be divided without the release of electrically
charged particles. It also is the smallest unit of matter that has the characteristic
properties of a chemical element. As such, the atom is the basic building block
of chemistry.
● MOLECULE- two or more atoms combined. Still in the chemical level of
structural hierarchy. A group of two or more atoms that form the smallest
identifiable unit into which a pure substance can be divided and still retain the
composition and chemical properties of that substance.

● CELL- combination of molecules. Basic structural and functional level of an

organism. It is the smallest living units in the human body. These are the basic
building blocks of all living things. The human body is composed of trillions of
cells. They provide structure for the body, take in nutrients from food, convert
those nutrients into energy, and carry out specialized functions.

● TISSUE-Tissue is a group of cells that have similar structure and that function
together as a unit. A non-living material, called the intercellular matrix, fills the
spaces between the cells. This may be abundant in some tissues and minimal in
others. The intercellular matrix may contain special substances such as salts and
fibers that are unique to a specific tissue and gives those tissue distinctive
characteristics. There are four main tissue types in the body: epithelial,
connective, muscle, and nervous. Each is designed for specific functions.

● ORGAN- in biology, an organ (from the Latin “organum” meaning an instrument

or tool) is a collection of tissues that structurally form a functional unit
 specialized to perform a particular function. Your heart, kidneys, and lungs are
examples of organs.

4. At what levels of organization would an exercise physiologist study the human body?

(Hint: Refer to Table 1.1.)

● An exercise physiologist is concerned with the changes to cell and organ

functions as a result of muscular activity. Their focus would be at cellular level.

5. Referring to Table 1.2, which body systems help eliminate wastes?

● Integumentary – sweat

● Urinary – urine

● Respiratory – CO₂

● Digestive – solid wastes

6. List the six most important life processes in the human body.

● METABOLISM-describes all the chemical processes that go on continuously inside your body
to keep you alive and your organs functioning normally, such as breathing, repairing cells
and digesting food. These chemical processes require energy.

● RESPONSIVENESS- the body’s ability to detect and respond to changes. Can be internal or
external changes.
 ● MOVEMENT- Includes literally everything from inner cells to whole body. Example: cilia
moving substances over a cell surface to the muscles contracting and moving the body. Gall
bladder squirting bile into GI tract to aid in fat digestion and white blood cells, plasma cells
moving to an area where skin is compromised to aid in clotting and fighting off infections.

● GROWTH- literally an increase in cell size or number.

● DIFFERENTIATION -development of a cell from a general nonspecific cell to a specialized

state. Cells develop for a specific purpose, function of organ.

● REPRODUCTION- literally either the formation of new cells for tissue growth, repair or
replacement or a completely new human from an embryo.

7. Describe the locations of intracellular fluid, extracellular fluid, interstitial fluid, and blood
plasma.

● INTRACELLULAR FLUID-literally fluid with (inside) a cell

● EXTRACELLULAR FLUID-fluid outside the body of a cell. Fills spaces between cells of
tissues.

● INTERSTITIAL FLUID -this is the ECF that fills the narrow spaces between cells in tissue.

● BLOOD PLASMA- ECF located within the blood vessel walls. ECF goes by more specific
names depending on its location. Example: lymphatic vessels – lymph fluid, brain and
spinal cord – cerebrospinal fluid, joints-synovial fluid, eyes-aqueous fluid.

8. Why is interstitial fluid called the internal environment of the body?

 ● Proper functioning of body cells depends upon the precise regulation of the
interstitial fluid surrounding them. Because of this interstitial fluid is often called
the body’s internal environment. The composition of interstitial fluid changes as
substances move back and forth between it and blood plasma.

9. What types of disturbances can act as stimuli that initiate a feedback system?

● Changes to body temperature, a drop in blood glucose, stressors, child birth,

blood loss

● Feedback can negative: blood glucose drops, blood pressure changes. Positive:
child birth, blood loss.

10. Define receptor, control center, and effector.

● RECEPTOR-are groups of specialized cells. They detect a change in the environment

(stimulus) and stimulate electrical impulses in response. Sense organs contain groups of
receptors that respond to specific stimuli. Receiver: such as. A: a cell or group of cells
that receives stimuli: sense organ. B: a chemical group or molecule (such as a protein)
on the cell surface or in the cell interior that has an affinity for a specific chemical group,
molecule, or virus.

● CONTROL CENTER-is the body structure that determines the normal range of the
variable, or set point. For example, sweat glands (effectors) throughout the body release
sweat to lower body temperature; and cells of the liver (effectors) release glucose to
raise blood glucose levels.

● EFFECTOR- is a muscle, gland, or organ capable of responding to a stimulus, especially a

nerve impulse. An effector brings about an action (e.g. a muscle action or glandular
secretion) as a result of a stimulus it receives.
11. What is the difference between symptoms and signs of a disease? Give examples of each.

● Signs and symptoms are abnormalities that can indicate a potential medical
condition. Whereas a symptom is subjective, that is, apparent only to the
patient (for example back pain or fatigue), a sign is any objective evidence of a
disease that can be observed by others (for example a skin rash or lump). A
symptom is a manifestation of disease apparent to the patient himself, while a
sign is a manifestation of disease that the physician perceives. The sign is
objective evidence of disease; a symptom, subjective. Symptoms represent the
complaints of the patient, and if severe, they drive him to the doctor’s office.

12. Locate each region shown in Figure 1.5 on your own body, and then identify it by its
anatomical name and the corresponding common name.

● HEAD-CEPHALIC
● (Occipital-Back of skull, Skull-Cranial, Face-Facial, Neck-Cervical, Forehead-
Frontal, Temple-Temporal, Eye-Orbital or Ocular, Cheek-Buccal, Mouth-Oral,
Chin-Mental)

● TRUNK

● (Shoulder Blade-Scapular, Breastbone-Sternum, Breast-Mammary, Stomach-

Abdomen, Naval-Umbilical, Spinal Column-Vertebral Column, Back-Dorsal,
Between Hips-Sacral, Lumbar-Loin, Buttock-Gluteal, Hip-Coxal, Groin-
Inguinal/groin, Public-Pubis, Parineal-area between anus and external genitals,
Pelvis-Pelvic)

● EXTERMITIES
● (Arm-Brachial, Back of elbow-olecranal/cubital, Wrist-Carpal, Fingers-
digital/phalangeal, Back of hand-dorsum, Knee(front)-patellar, Thigh-Femoral,
Ankle-Tarsal, Top of foot-dorsum, Sole-Plantar, Front of elbow-Antecubital,
Forearm-Ante Brachial, Palm-Palmar/Volar, Thumb-pollex, Leg-Crural,
 Knee(back)-popliteal, Foot-Pedal, Toes-digital/phalangeal, Great Toe-Hallux,
Heel-calcaneal)

13. What structures separate the various body cavities from one another?

● Cranial bones separate cranial cavity, diaphragm separates thoracic and

abdominal cavities. Serous membranes separate pleural and pericardial cavities.
Serous membranes separate abdominopelvic cavities. The diaphragm is a sheet
of muscle that separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity. Special
membrane tissues surround the body cavities, such as the meninges of the
dorsal cavity and the mesothelium of the ventral cavity.

14. Locate the nine abdominopelvic regions and the four abdominopelvic quadrants on yourself,
and list some of the organs found in each.

● RIGHT HYPOCHONDRIAC REGION

● Most of liver
● EPIGASTRIC
● Small part of stomach
● Gall bladder
● Diaphragm
● Part of liver
● HYPOCHONDRIAC REGION
● Spleen
● Stomach
● RIGHT LUMBAR
● Transverse colon
● LEFT LUMBAR
● Small intestines
● Sigmoid colon
● UMBILICAL
● Stomach
● Appendix
● RIGHTILIAC/INGUINAL
● Large intestines
● LEFT ILIAC/INGUINAL
● Large intestines
 ● HYPOGATRIC
● Urinary Bladder
● Uterus
● Urethras
● Rectum

15. Which forms of medical imaging would be used to show a blockage in an artery of the heart?

● Angiogram: An angiogram is an x-ray procedure that can be both diagnostic and

therapeutic. It is considered the gold standard for evaluating blockages in the
arterial system. An angiogram detects blockages using x-rays taken during the
injection of a contrast material (iodine).

16. Of the medical imaging techniques outlined in Table 1.3, which one best reveals the
physiology of a structure?

● Radiography/radiograph

17. Which medical imaging technique would you use to determine whether a bone was broken?

● Bone x-ray uses a very small dose of ionizing radiation to produce pictures of
any bone in the body. It is commonly used to diagnose fractured bones or joint
dislocation. Bone x-rays are the fastest and easiest way for your doctor to view
and assess bone fractures, injuries and joint abnormalities.

Quiz

Fill in the blanks in the following statements.

1. A(n tissue) is a group of similar cells and their surrounding materials performing specific
functions.
 2. The sum of all of the body’s chemical processes is metabolism. It consists of two parts: the
phase that builds up new substances is anabolism, and the phase that breaks down substances
is catabolism.

3. The fluid located within cells is the intracellular fluid whereas the fluid located outside of the
cells

is extracellular fluid.

Indicate whether the following statements are true or false.

TRUE 4. In a positive feedback system, the response enhances or intensifies the original
stimulus.

FALSE 5. A person lying face down would be in the supine position.

FALSE 6. The highest level of structural organization is the system level.

Choose the one best answer to the following questions.

7. A plane that separates the body into unequal right and left sides is a

a. Transverse plane (b) frontal plane

b. Midsagittal plane (d) coronal plane

(e) parasagittal plane

8. Midway through a 5-mile workout, a runner begins to sweat profusely. The sweat glands
producing the sweat would be considered which part of a feedback loop?
a. Controlled condition (b) receptors (c) stimulus

(d) effectors (e) control center

9. An unspecialized stem cell becomes a brain cell during fetal development. This is an
example of

(a) differentiation (b) growth (c) organization

(d) responsiveness (e) homeostasis.

10. A radiography technician needs to x-ray a growth on the urinary bladder. To accomplish
this,the camera must be positioned on the region.

a. Left inguinal b) epigastric

(c) hypogastric

(d) right inguinal (e) umbilical

11. Which of the following would not be associated with the thoracic cavity?
i. Pericardium, (2) mediastinum, (3) peritoneum, (4) pleura,
(a) 2 and 3 (b) 2 (c) 3 (d) 1 and 4 (e) 3 and 4

12. Match the following common names and anatomical descriptive adjectives:

4 a. Axillary 1. Skull

6 b. Inguinal 2. Eye

8 c. Cervical. 3. Cheek

1 d. Cranial 4. Armpit

9 e. Oral 5. Arm

5 f. Brachial 6. Groin
 2 g. Orbital 7. Buttock

7 h. Gluteal 8. Neck

3 i. Buccal 9. Mouth

10 j. Coxal 10. Hip

15. Match the following systems with their functions: (number only)

6 (a) nervous system (1) regulates body activities through hormones (chemicals)

1 (b) endocrine system transported in the blood to various target

11 (c) urinary system organs of the body

5 (d) cardiovascular (2) produces gametes; releases hormones from gonads

system (3) protects against disease; returns fluids to blood

10 (e) muscular system (4) protects body by forming a barrier to the outside

8 (f) respiratory system environment; helps regulate body temperature

7 (g) digestive system (5) transports oxygen and nutrients to cells; protects against

9 (h) skeletal system disease; carries wastes away from cells

4 (i) integumentary (6) regulates body activities through action potentials (nerve

system impulses); receives sensory information; interprets and

3 (j) lymphatic system responds to the information

and immunity (7) carries out the physical and chemical breakdown of food and

2 (k) reproductive absorption of nutrients

system (8) transfers oxygen and carbon dioxide between air and blood

(9) supports and protects the body; provides internal

framework; provides a place for muscle attachment

(10) powers movements of the body and stabilizes body

position

(11) eliminates wastes; regulates the volume and chemical composition of blood.

CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS

1. You are studying for your first anatomy and physiology exam and want to know
which areas of your brain are working hardest as you study. Your classmate
suggests that you could have a computed tomography (CT) scan done to assess
your brain activity. Would this be the best way to determine brain activity levels?

I think the best way to determine brain activity levels is electroencephalography

(EEG) a test that detects electrical activity in the brain using small, metal discs
(electrodes) attached to the scalp. The brain communicate via electrical impulses
and are active all the time even when asleep.
 2. There is much interest in using stem cells to help in the treatment of diseases such
as type diabetes, which is due to a malfunction of some of the normal cells in the
pancreas. What would make stem cells useful in disease treatment?

Stem cells replace cells damage by chemotherapy or disease or serve as a way for
the donor’s immune system to fight some types of cancer and blood-related
diseases.

3. On her first anatomy and physiology exam, Heather defined homeostasis as “ the
condition in which the body approaches room temperature and stays there”. Do
you agree with Heather’s definition?

Heather’s definition does not work for me. This is because homeostasis refers to a
state of equilibrium that encompasses more than just body temperatures. It’s
responsible for a number of bodily activities. The body does not adjust to room
temperature, most rooms would make the body way too low.

defined homeostasis as “the condition

In which the body approaches room temperature and stays there.” Do

you agree with

Heather’s definition?