Anatomy and Physiology Lecture Notes

Introduction

• Body Awareness: Encourages self-awareness of one's body and its complex functions.
• Complexity of Human Body: Simple actions involve intricate systems working together.
• Amazing Facts:
  • Intestines length: As long as a three-story building.
  • Saliva production: Enough to fill more than one swimming pool in a lifetime.
  • Dead skin cells: Lose about 50 kilograms over a lifetime.

Disciplines of Study

• Anatomy: Studies the structure and relationships between body parts.
• Physiology: Examines how body parts function and work together.
• Overall Science: Integrates anatomy and physiology to understand life, disease, and recovery.

Historical Context

• Study of anatomy evolved from secretive practices to regulated human dissections.
• Key Figures:
  • Galen studied human form via pigs.
  • Da Vinci conducted dissections for anatomical drawings.
• Historic Events:
  • 17th/18th-century public dissections.
  • Anatomy Act of 1832 in Britain.

Key Principles

• Complementarity of Structure and Function: Function reflects form.
  • Blood flow, bone strength linked to physical structure.

Levels of Organization

1. Chemical Level
   • Atoms and molecules form the basis of living things.
2. Cellular Level
   • Basic unit of life with variable sizes and functions.
3. Tissue Level
   • Groups of similar cells forming tissues (muscle, nervous, connective).
4. Organ Level
   • Two or more tissue types forming organs (heart, liver, etc.).
5. Organ System Level
   • Organs working together (e.g., digestive system).
6. Organism Level
   • Complete living being formed from organized systems.

Homeostasis

• Definition: Maintaining stable internal conditions.
• Importance: Essential for survival; imbalance leads to death.
• Examples: Blood pressure, temperature, oxygen levels.

Anatomical Language

• Directional Terms:
  • Axial vs. Appendicular:
    • Axial: Head, neck, trunk.
    • Appendicular: Limbs.
  • Anterior (Ventral) vs. Posterior (Dorsal):
    • Anterior: Front (e.g., eyes).
    • Posterior: Back (e.g., butt).
  • Superior (Cranial) vs. Inferior (Caudal):
    • Superior: Above (e.g., jaw vs. lungs).
    • Inferior: Below.
  • Medial vs. Lateral:
    • Medial: Toward midline.
    • Lateral: Away from midline.
  • Proximal vs. Distal:
    • Proximal: Closer to trunk.
    • Distal: Farther from trunk.
• Planes of the Body:
  • Sagittal: Divides left and right.
  • Coronal (Frontal): Divides front and back.
  • Transverse: Divides top and bottom.

Conclusion

• Summary:
  • Anatomy: Structure of body parts.
  • Physiology: Function and interaction of parts.
  • Key principles learned include complementarity, hierarchy, and homeostasis.
• Acknowledgments: Crash Course team and contributors.