Module 1.

The Human Organism

⮚ Introduction to Human Anatomy

⮚ Introduction to Human Physiology

⮚ Structural and Functional Organization of the Human Body

⮚ Characteristic of Life

⮚ Homeostasis

⮚ Terminology and the Body Plane

Introduction to Human Anatomy

Human Anatomy
⮚ Is the study of the structure of the human body
Human Physiology
⮚ Is the scientific discipline that deals with the process or functions of living
things.
Anatomy
⮚ Is the scientific discipline that investigate the structure of the body

⮚ It means to dissect or cut apart and separate, the parts of the body for
study
Systemic anatomy
⮚ The study of the body by system such as cardiovascular, nervous, skeletal
and muscular system
Regional anatomy
⮚ The study of the organization of the body by areas. Within each region,
such as the head, abdomen or arm, all system are studied simultaneously
Surface anatomy
⮚ Is the study of the external features such as bony projections which serves
as landmark for locating deeper structure
Anatomical Imaging
⮚ Involves the use of x ray, ultrasound, MRI Magnetic resonance imaging to
create pictures of internal structures.

Structural and Functional Organization of the Human Body

Chemical Level
 ⮚ It involves how atoms such as hydrogen and carbon interact and combine
into molecules
⮚ Molecule structure determine its function
Cellular level
⮚ Cells are the basic structural and functional units of the organism

⮚ Organelles are molecules combine and form the small structure that form
the cell
Tissue Level
⮚ Are groups of similar cells and materials surrounding them.

⮚ The characteristics of the cell and surrounding materials determine the

function s of the tissue
Organ Level
⮚ Is composed of two or more tissue types that together perform one or
more common functions
Organ System Level
⮚ Is a group of organs classified as a unit because of a common functions

⮚ The coordinated activity of the organ system are necessary for normal
functions
Organism Level
⮚ Is any living thing considered as a whole, whether composed of one cell or
trillions of cells
⮚ Human organism is a complex of organ system that are mutually dependent
upon one another.

Characteristics of Life
⮚ The most important common feature of all organisms is life.
Organization
⮚ Refers to the specific relationship of the many individual parts of an
organism, from cell to organelles to organs, interacting and working
together.
Metabolism
⮚ Is the ability to use energy to perform vital functions, such as growth,
movement and reproduction.
Responsiveness
⮚ The ability of the organism to sense changes in the environment and make
the adjustments that maintain its life.
Growth
 ⮚ Refers to an increase in size of all or part of the organism.
Development
⮚ Includes the changes an organism undergoes through time

⮚ Differentiation is change in cell structure and function from generalized to

specialized
Reproduction
⮚ Is the formation of new cells or new organism.

Homeostasis

⮚ Is the existence and maintenance of a relatively constant environment

within the body despite fluctuations in either the external or the internal
environment
⮚ Homeostatic mechanism are governed by the nervous system or the
endocrine system
⮚ Normal range of values is the increase or decrease of variables slightly
around a set point.
⮚ Set point is the average normal value of the variable

⮚ The organ system helps control the internal environment so that it remain
relatively constant
Regulation of the body in order to maintain Homeostasis

Negative Feedback Mechanism

⮚ In this context means- to decrease

⮚ It is when any deviation from the set point is made smaller or is resisted

⮚ It does not prevent variation but maintain variation within normal range

⮚ Maintenance of normal body temperature is a negative-feedback

mechanism
⮚ Component of Negative Feedback Mechanism
o Receptor – monitor the value of a variable such as body
temperature, by detecting the stimuli
o Control Center – such as the brain that determine the set point for
o the variable and receives input from the receptor about the
variable
o Effector- such as the sweat gland, that can change the value of the
variable hen directed b the control center
⮚ Stimulus is a changed variable that initiate a homeostatic mechanism
Positive Feedback Mechanism
⮚ Occurs when the initial stimulus further stimulates the response

⮚ Positive means that the deviation from the set point becomes greater

⮚ Positive indicates a increase

⮚ Positive mechanism can be detrimental instead of helpful.

Terminology and the body plane

Anatomical Position
⮚ Refers to standing upright with the face directed forward, the upper limbs
hanging to the sides, and the palms of the hands facing forward.
o Supine - when lying face upward
o Prone- when lying face downward
Directional Terms
⮚ describe parts of the body relative to each other
o Right or left are used as directional terms in anatomical
terminology
o Superior - is used for above or up
o Inferior – is used for below or down
o Anterior – means that goes before
o Posterior – means that which that follows
o Ventral – means belly. The anterior surface is the ventral surface
o Dorsal – means back. The posterior surface is the dorsal surface
o Proximal – means nearest
o Distal – means distant
o Medial - towards the midline
o Lateral – away from the midline
o Superficial – refers to the structure close to the surface of the body
o Deep- toward the interior of the body
Body Parts and Regions

⮚ Central region of the body – consist of the head, neck and trunk

⮚ Trunk – can be divided into

o Thorax (chest)
o Abdomen (belly)
o Pelvis (hips)
⮚ Limbs
o Upper limb – arm, forearm, wrist and hand
▪ Arm – extend from the shoulder to the elbow
 ▪ Forearm – extends from the elbow to the wrist
o Lower limb – is divided into the thigh, leg, ankle foot
▪ Thigh – extends from hip to the knee

▪ Leg - extend from knee to the ankle

⮚ Abdomen
o Is divided into quadrants by imaginary lines- horizontal and vertical
that transect the navel
o Or this can be subdivided into regions by 4 imaginary lines two
horizontal and two vertical
Planes
⮚ Sectioning the body is a way to look inside and observe body structure
o Sagittal plane – runs vertically through the body and separate it into
right and left
o Median plane – is a sagittal plane that passes through the midline
of the body dividing it into equal half of right and left halves
o Transverse plane – runs parallel to the body and divide the body
into superior and inferior part
o Frontal or Coronal plane – runs vertically from right to left and
divide the body into anterior and posterior
Sections of organs
⮚ Longitudinal section – cut along the length of the organ

⮚ Transverse or cross section – cuts completely through the organs

⮚ Oblique sections – cut diagonally

Body cavities
⮚ Thoracic cavity – surrounded by the ribs and is separated from the
abdomen by the muscular diaphragm. It is divided to right and left by the
mediastinum
⮚ Abdominal Cavity – is bounded primarily by the abdominal muscle and
contains the stomach, the intestines, liver, the spleen, the pancreas and the
kidney
⮚ Pelvic cavity- is a small space enclosed by the bones of the pelvis and
contains the urinary bladder, part of the largest intestine, and the internal
reproductive organs

Serous Membranes
⮚ Membranes that line the trunk cavities and cover the organs of the cavities.

⮚ Visceral serous membrane – covering that is in contact with the organ

⮚ Parietal serous membrane – covering that is the outer part.

⮚ In between the parietal and visceral membranes is a cavity or space filled
with thin lubricating serous fluid
⮚ Thoracic cavity- 3 serous membrane
o Pericardial cavity that surrounds the heart
o 2 pleural cavity that covers the lungs
⮚ Peritoneal cavity – surrounds the abdominopelvic cavity

⮚ Mesentery – consist of two layers of peritoneum fused together that

connect the visceral peritoneum of some abdominopelvic organs to the
parietal peritoneum on the abdominal wall.
o It provides passageway for nerves and blood vessels to reach the
organs.
⮚ Retroperitoneal organs – includes the kidneys, the adrenal glands, portion
of the pancreas parts of the intestine and the urinary bladder.