The Human Body: An Orientation

Front 1

Physiology

Back 1

Study of the function of living organisms

Front 2

Ultrasound

Back 2

Inaudible sound of high frequency used to outline various tissues and organs of the body.

Front 3

Section

Back 3

A cut through the body (or an organ)that is made along a particular plane; a thin slice of tissue prepared for microscopic study.

Front 4

Midsagittal (median) plane

Back 4

Specific sagittal plane that lies exactly in the midline.

Front 5

Pleural cavities

Back 5

A subdivision of the thoracic cavity; each houses a lung

Front 6

Serous fluid

Back 6

Clear, watery fluid secreted by cells of a serous membrane.

Front 7

Cardiovascular system

Back 7

Organ system which distributes the blood to deliver nutrients and remove wastes.

Front 8

Vertebral (spinal) cavity

Back 8

Body cavity that runs within the bony vertebral column; encloses the spinal cord.

Front 9

Parasagittal planes

Back 9

All sagittal planes offset from the midline.

Front 10

Horizontal (transverse) plane

Back 10

A plane running from right to left dividing the body into superior and inferior parts.

Front 11

Ventral

Back 11

Pertaining to the front; anterior.

Front 12

Abdominopelvic cavity

Back 12

Body cavity inferior to the thoracic cavity and separated from it by the diaphragm.

Front 13

Dorsal body cavity

Back 13

A large cavity within the axial portion of the body.

Front 14

Peritoneum

Back 14

Serous membrane lining the interior of the abdominal cavity and covering the surfaces of abdominal organs.

Front 15

Ultrasonography

Back 15

Use of ultrasound to produce an image of an organ or tissue.

Front 16

Superior

Back 16

Refers to the head or upper body regions.

Front 17

Middle ear cavities

Back 17

Contain tiny bones that transmit sound vibrations to the organ of hearing in the inner ears; medial to the eardrums.

Front 18

Digestive System

Back 18

System that processes food into absorbable units and eliminates indigestible wastes.

Front 19

Endocrine system

Back 19

Body system that includes internal organs that secrete hormones.

Front 20

Frontal (coronal) plane

Back 20

Longitudinal (vertical) plane that divides the body into anterior and posterior parts.

Front 21

Integumentary system

Back 21

Skin and its derivatives; provides the external protective covering of the body.

Front 22

Embryology

Back 22

Branch of developmental anatomy dealing with the changes that occur before birth.

Front 23

Appendicular

Back 23

Relating to the limbs; one of the two major divisions of the body.

Front 24

Lymphatic system

Back 24

System consisting of lymphatic vessels, lymph nodes, and other lymphoid organs and tissues; drains excess tissue fluid from the extracellular space and provides a site for immune surveillance.

Front 25

Pelvic cavity

Back 25

The inferior part of the abdominopelvic cavity; contains the bladder, some reproductive organs, and the rectum.

Front 26

Sagittal plane

Back 26

A longitudinal (vertical) plane that divides the body or any of its parts into right and left portions.

Front 27

Superfical

Back 27

Located close to or on the body surface.

Front 28

Muscular system

Back 28

The organ system consisting of the skeletal muscles of the body and their connective tissue attachments.

Front 29

Cell

Back 29

The structural and functional unit of living organisms; contains a nucleus and a variety of organelles enclosed by a limiting membrane.

Front 30

Oblique section

Back 30

A cut made diagonally between the horizontal and vertical plane of the body or an organ.

Front 31

Gross (macroscopic) anatomy

Back 31

Study of large body structures visible to the naked eye.

Front 32

Parietal serosa

Back 32

The part of the double-layered membrane that lines the walls of the ventral body cavity.

Front 33

Synovial cavities

Back 33

Joint cavities.

Front 34

Organelles

Back 34

Small cellular structures (ribosomes, mitochondria, and others) that perform specific metabolic functions for the cell as a whole.

Front 35

Histology

Back 35

Branch of anatomy dealing with the microscopic structure of tissues.

Front 36

Oral cavity

Back 36

Contains the teeth and tongue; commonly called the mouth.

Front 37

Skeletal system

Back 37

System of protection and support composed primarily of bone and cartilage.

Front 38

Inferior (caudal)

Back 38

Pertaining to a position near the tail end of the long axis of the body.

Front 39

Organ system

Back 39

A group of organs that work together to perform a vital body function; e.g., the nervous system.

Front 40

Mediastinum

Back 40

A subdivision of the thoracic cavity containing the pericardial cavity.

Front 41

Pericardium

Back 41

Double-layered serosa enclosing the heart and forming its superficial layer.

Front 42

Surface anatomy

Back 42

Study of internal body structures as they relate to the overlying skin surface.

Front 43

Embryo

Back 43

Developmental stage extending from gastrulation to the end of the eight week.

Front 44

Anatomy

Back 44

Study of the structure of living organisms.

Front 45

Nervous system

Back 45

Fast-acting control system that triggers muscle contraction or gland secretion.

Front 46

Medial

Back 46

Toward the midline of the body.

Front 47

Reproductive system

Back 47

Organ system that functions to produce offspring.

Front 48

Respiratory system

Back 48

Organ system that carries out gas exchange; includes the nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, lungs.

Front 49

Pleura

Back 49

Two-layered serous membrane that lines the thoracic cavity and covers the external surface of the lung.

Front 50

Lateral

Back 50

Away from the midline of the body.

Front 51

Anterior

Back 51

The front of an organism, organ, or part; the ventral surface.

Front 52

Abdomen

Back 52

Portion of the body between the diaphragm and the pelvis.

Front 53

Regional anatomy

Back 53

All the structures (muscles, bones, blood vessels, nerves, etc.) in one particular region of the body.

Front 54

Abdominal cavity

Back 54

Contains the stomach, intestines, spleen, liver, and other organs. It is inferior to the thoracic cavity and separated from it by the diaphragm.

Front 55

Axial

Back 55

Relating to the head, neck, and trunk; one of the two major divisions of the body.

Front 56

Ventral body cavity

Back 56

The more anterior and larger of the closed body cavities; contains the thoracic and abdominopelvic cavity.

Front 57

Pharynx

Back 57

Muscular tube extending from the region posterior to the nasal cavities to the esophagus.

Front 58

Nasal cavity

Back 58

Located within and posterior to the nose; is part of the respiratory system passageways.

Front 59

Oragn

Back 59

A part of the body formed of two or more tissues and adapted to carry out a specific function; e.g., the stomach.

Front 60

Dorsal

Back 60

Pertaining to the back; posterior.

Front 61

Pericardial cavity

Back 61

Located within the mediastinum of the thoracic cavity, it encloses the heart and also surrounds the remaining thoracic organs (esophagus, trachea, and others).

Front 62

Visceral serosa

Back 62

The part of the double-layered membrane that lines the outer surfaces of organs within the ventral body cavity.

Front 63

Cranial cavity

Back 63

Body cavity within which the brain is encased by the skull.

Front 64

Thoracic cavity

Back 64

The superior subdivision of the ventral body cavity, surrounded by the ribs and muscles of the chest.