Lecture I: Organization Of The Human Body

Front 1

_________ is the science of the structures of the body and how those structures relate to each other in space.

Back 1

Anatomy

Front 2

__________is the science of the functions of the structures of the body.

Back 2

Physiology

Front 3

What are the Characteristics of Living Things

Back 3

1. All living things are composed of one or more cells.
2. All living things are organized hierarchically.
3. All living things reproduce.
4. All living things transform or use energy.
5. All living things maintain homeostasis. Homeostasis
6. All living things respond to external stimuli.
7. All living things grow.
8. Multi-cellular organisms grow from one unspecialized cell into many specialized cells through the process of cellular differentiation.

Front 4

_________are conditions in the body that can change (e.g. body temperature, blood volume, blood chemistry).

Back 4

Variables

Front 5

The _________ is the ideal value for a variable (e.g. 98.6 F for body temperature).

Back 5

set point

Front 6

The __________ is the range around the set point at which homeostasis is maintained (e.g. body temperature is not considered a fever until body temp is 100.4F or higher; 98.6 ± 2F).

Back 6

normal range

Front 7

In _________ feedback the body responds by pushing the variable away from the set point essentially reinforcing the effect.

Back 7

positive

Front 8

All living things are composed of one or more cells.

Back 8

The cell is known as “the fundamental unit of living things.” A General Biology text would define a cell as a membrane bound sac full of protoplasm that contains molecules responsible for heredity (DNA).

Front 9

All living things are organized hierarchically.

Back 9

This can be compared to Russian dolls – where one doll fits inside another, which fits inside another and so on. With regard to living things, I always start with the cell since it is the basic unit of living things. A collection of closely associated cells that perform a specific function is a tissue. Examples of tissues would be muscle tissues that help to move the body or its parts. A collection of closely associated tissues that perform a specific function is an organ. Muscle tissue along with connective, nervous and epithelial tissues make-up the stomach. Without all of these tissues the organ, in this case the stomach, would not be able to function. A collection of closely associated organs that perform a specific function is an organ system. The teeth, tongue, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine and anus are closely associated and are involved in ingesting, moving and digesting raw materials for use in the body; they are part of the digestive system. A collection of closely associated organ systems that perform a specific function is an organism; all of our organ systems work together to ensure survival, reproduction, or both.

Front 10

All living things reproduce.

Back 10

Reproduction is the driving force in all living things – to create offspring and perpetuate their genes.

Front 11

All living things transform or use energy.

Back 11

All living things capture and use energy for their biological processes. Plants capture energy from the sun and store it in the chemical bonds of glucose and other sugars. We consume those biological molecules, break the bonds to liberate the energy and use that energy for our own biological processes. We do have some vocabulary associated with this characteristic. Metabolism refers collectively to all of the chemical reactions in the body. Metabolism can be divided into two different processes: catabolism and anabolism. Catabolism refers to chemical reactions that breakdown complex organic compounds; essentially breaking molecules apart. Anabolism refers to chemical reactions that combine simple substances into more complex molecules; essentially building larger molecules by joining together smaller ones.

Front 12

All living things maintain homeostasis.

Back 12

Homeostasis (“same” “stop, stand still”) is the ability of an organism to maintain a constant internal environment. A good example of this would be body temperature. Most of the chemical reactions and processes in our bodies work best at 98.6F. As a result our body works very hard to maintain this internal temperature. When it is hot the body causes sweat to be released by the sweat glands in our skin. This allows the water to lower our body temperature through evaporative cooling. Dilation of the blood vessels in the skin bring warm blood from the body’s core and allows it to cool. As a result we do not overheat. The opposite occurs when we are cold. The blood vessels in our skin constrict to conserve heat. In addition, we start to shiver - generating heat through the contraction of our muscles.

Front 13

All living things respond to external stimuli.

Back 13

Essentially we are referring to the ability to sense changes in the environment and make adjustments that help maintain life. Moving out of the hot sun or drinking cold water are both examples of our responses to the hot weather. Another example would be to remove your hand from a hot pan or leaving a burning building. All of these responses are to external stimuli and help increase the probability of survival.

Front 14

All living things grow

Back 14

Growth can be considered the increase in size in all or part of an organism.

Front 15

Multi-cellular organisms grow from one unspecialized cell into many specialized cells through the process of __________ ___________.

Back 15

cellular differentiation