Student Diary

This is a homework assignment.
Class: APP 110
(Anatomy, physiology, and pathology 1)

Date: 04/27/08

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List the four basic tissue types and describe the general characteristics and functions of each.

Muscular, epithelial, connective, and nervous.

Muscle tissue creates movement.  There are three types: skeletal, cardiac, and smooth.

Epithelial tissue lines, covers, protects, secretes, absorbs, and repairs quickly.

Connective tissue binds, supports, transports, and stores.

Nervous tissue transmits signals between body and brain.  Neurons carry the actual signal; neuroglia supports and protects the neurons.

Name the primary components that make up all connective tissues.

Fibers, cells, and matrix (ground substance).

Name the different types of connective tissue, describe their general make-up, and give the general location of each.

Areolar: located around organs & vessels, as well as under the skin.  Made up of several kinds of cells, randomly arranged fibers, and semi-fluid matrix.

Adipose: basically fat, located around organs, around joints, and under skin.  Made up of large, vacuous cells, few fibers, and very little matrix.

Bone: obviously located in the bones, made up of osteocytes (”osteo” bone, cytes “cells”), lots of dense collagen, and hard calcified matrix.

Cartilage: located at bone ends.  Make-up varies depending on type.

Dense Fibrous: located in tendons, ligaments, and fascia.  Made up of fibroblasts; dense collagen; and a shiny, white, non-stretch matrix.

Liquid: located in blood and lymph.  Composed of blood cells, few fibers, and fluid matrix.

List the three main types of muscle tissue and explain the key characteristics of each.

Skeletal: Voluntary and striated.

Cardiac: Involuntary and striated, with intercalated disks.

Smooth: Involuntary, not striated, and kicks me in the abdomen like David Beckham once a month.

Name and describe the two types of nerve cells and tissues.

Neurons and neuroglia.  Neurons transmit signals; neuroglia protects neurons.

Describe the basic structure and function of the following cellular structures:

Cell membrane: Protects and gives support to the cell.  It is semipermeable and decides what gets to go in and out.

Cytoplasm: Made up of cytosol fluid and the organelles.  It… just sort of… embodies stuff?

Nucleus: The control center of the cell.

Endoplasmic reticulum: The term you want to use when impressing chicks at bars.  Also useful to know that it’s involved in transport, synthesis, storage, packaging, and secretion.

Golgi apparatus: The packaging center of the cell.

Mitochondria: The power-house of the cell; provides energy.

Lysosomes: Removes damaged organelles.

Ribosomes: Manufacture protein.

Define the following major transport mechanisms of the cell:

Diffusion: Higher concentrations naturally gravitating toward lower concentrations.  Passive.

Osmosis: The same as diffusion, but only with regards to water.

Filtration: Force from the outside of the cell pushes water and solutes through the membrane via hydrostatic pressure.  Higher pressure pushes toward lower pressure.  Also passive.

Active transport: The one type of transport that requires the cell to expend energy, which is-

Phagocytosis: In which the cell membrane knowingly reaches out and “NOM NOM NOM”s the materials it wants from the outside of the cell.

Define mitosis and differentiation.

Mitosis is the process by which normal cells reproduce.  Differentiation is the process by which cells assume different shapes and functions within the body (stem cells).

Define homeostasis and give examples of common homeostatic mechanisms of the body.

Homeostatis is a state of bodily balance; the body is constantly in the act of maintaining homeostasis.  Examples of homeostatic mechanisms are internal temperature, glucose levels, and sleep cycles.

Describe positive or negative feedback mechanisms and provide an example of each.

Negative feedback reverses an action, and aims toward balance.  For example: large amounts of glucose in the blood may trigger the release of insulin.  When insulin then drops bloodsugar too low, insulin secretion is halted or slowed, causing bloodsugar to rise again, and so forth.

Positive feedback creates more of the same action, and will keep going and going until stimuli is removed or until it reaches some inevitability that stops itself.  For example, contractions to push out a baby until the baby is gone, or–I get why everyone laughed now–orgasm.

Define the terms anatomy, physiology, pathology, macroscopic, and microscopic.

In the same order: the study of bodily structure, the study of bodily function, the study of disease, something that can be seen with the unaided eye, and something that requires a microscope for viewing.

List and describe the levels of organization in the body from the molecular and cellular levels to the organ systems level and provide an example of each.

Molecules: hormones, chemicals, etc… The realm of the endocrine system.

Cells: The basic unit of all living things.  Almost all cells are specialized, such as skin cells, muscle cells, etc.

Tissues: Specialized cells working together.  For example, blood.

Organs:  Specialized tissues working together.  Heart, liver, lungs, etc.

Organ systems: Organs working together, such as with the digestive system, or respiratory system.

Organism: All of the below working together to sustain a (hopefully) healthy, happy living being.

Define and demonstrate western anatomical position.

Palms facing forward, all joints extended.

Name and describe the 3 body planes.

Sagittal, transverse, and coronal.  The sagittal divides the body into left and right parts; the transverse divides the body into inferior and superior parts; and the coronal divides the body into posterior and anterior parts.

Name and locate the body cavities and their respective organs.

The two main cavities are dorsal and ventral.  The dorsal cavity contains the cranial and the spinal cavities, which contain the brain and spine.  The ventral cavity contains the thoracic cavity and the abdominopelvic cavity.  The thoracic cavity is located superior to the diaphragm and contains cardiovascular organs, respiratory organs, and some digestive organs.  Inferior to the diaphragm is the abdominopelvic cavity, containing the abdominal and the pelvic cavities.  The abdominal cavity contains most of the digestive organs, as well as spleen, liver, kidneys, etc.; the pelvic cavity contains internal sexual organs, the bladder, the rectum.

Name and locate the various body regions and recognize the associated layterm for each.

ANTERIOR:

POSTERIOR:

Name the 11 major organ systems in the body and list the primary components and general functions of each.

Integumentary: Skin, hair, nails, etc.  Protects, lines, supports.

Skeletal: Bones. Provides structure, form, and the capacity for movement.

Muscular: Muscles. Creates movement and support.

Endocrin: Regulates hormones; several seemingly unrelated glands throughout the body.

Lymphatic: Lymph fluid. Keeps… fluids in balance I guess?  Has a role in the immune system?  I still don’t fully understand this one.

Digestive: Stomach, swallowing mechs, saliva, etc.  Gets nutrition in, processes it, and excretes some waste.

Urinary: Bladder, urethra, kidneys, etc.  Excretes waste and excess water.

Cardiovascular: The heart and blood-vessels.  Transports nutrients and oxygen throughout the body, as well as guiding waste to disposal sites.

Nervous: The nerves, the brain.  Responsible for sending signals throughout the body and communicating with the brain.

Respiratory: Lungs, diaphragm, etc. Responsible for the intake of oxygen and the expulsion of carbon dioxide.

Reproductive: Creates more organisms!