The Human Body

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Learning Objectives:

Define and contrast anatomy and physiology

Discuss how the human body is organized.

Explain how complementarity of structure and function, the hierarchy of the structural organization, homeostasis will unify and form the bedrock of the human body.

• Use the language and terminology of anatomy to describe the body or its parts.

Form (anatomy) determines the function (physiology).

Definition of Anatomy:

Studies the structure of body parts and their relationships to one another. The term "...-tomy "(derived from the Greek words meaning to cut apart )

Anatomy: structure of body ‘bits’ and positions (“to cut apart”)

Macroscopic (gross); Regional, Systemic Surface

Microscopic; Cytology (is the study of cells) & Histology (is the study of tissues)

Developmental; Embryology

Aging; anatomical changes as a human ages

Definition of Physiology:

Concerns the function of the body, in other words, how the body parts work and carry out their life-sustaining activities.

Physiology: functions of the body ‘how the body works’

Systems

Hierarchical (organ, cells, organelles, macromolecules, micromolecules)

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A cell is the basic structural and functional unit of life and death

Organisms depend on structure/functions of individual and groups of cells

Principle of complementarity :

"what cells do depends on what they have"

Anatomy and physiology are inseparable.

The function always reflects the structure

What a structure can do depends on its specific form

Relationship between structure and function ranges from atoms to the entire organism.

‘Levels’ of Organization:

From smallest to largest

Chemical – atoms combine to form molecules (Ch.2)

Subcellular – molecules combine to form organelles

Cellular – organelles combine differently to form different cell

types (some living entities) (Ch.3)

Tissues - similar cells with common function combine to form tissues (epithelium, muscle, connective & nervous) (ch 4)

Organs – different tissues combine to form organs; 2 + tissue-types; complex functions (brain – messages, making chemicals, monitoring etc)

Organ system – organs working together (heart and blood vessels to carry oxygen and other nutrients)

Organismal – the person! (never to be neglected!)

The body organ systems and their major functions: