Chapter 1
An Introduction to the Human Body
Read chapter 1 in the bookSummary
Human anatomy is the scientific study of the body’s structures. The word “anatomy” comes from a Greek root that means “to cut apart.” Human anatomy was first studied by observing the exterior of the body and observing the wounds of soldiers and other injuries. Dissection is still used in medical schools, anatomy courses, and in pathology labs. When a body is dissected, its structures are cut apart in order to observe their physical attributes and their relationships to one another.
Key terms
- body
- dissected, its structures are cut apart in order to observe their physical attributes and their relationships to one another
- section
- in anatomy, a single flat surface of a three-dimensional structure that has been cut through
- anatomy
- science that studies the form and composition of the body’s structures
- negative feedback
- homeostatic mechanism that tends to stabilize an upset in the body’s physiological condition by preventing an excessive response to a stimulus, typically as the stimulus is removed
- oblique plane
- two-dimensional, vertical plane that intersects the body at an angle and is not parallel of perpendicular to any of the other three commonly used planes
- positron emission tomography (PET)
- medical imaging technique in which radiopharmaceuticals are traced to reveal metabolic and physiological functions in tissues
- set point
- ideal value for a physiological parameter; the level or small range within which a physiological parameter such as blood pressure is stable and optimally healthful, that is…
- computed tomography (CT)
- medical imaging technique in which a computer-enhanced cross-sectional X-ray image is obtained