BIO 11 & 12 are the only basic anatomy and physiology classes you will take. Any advanced courses you take afterwards will assume your familiarity/mastery of basic anatomy and physiology concepts.



Your mission



It is therefore imperative that you strive to truly understand and internalize course content. You may be at a bit of a disadvantage as you likely don't know what aspects of anatomy and physiology will ultimately be most important to you. That which a nurse needs to master may be different than what a physical therapist may, or a surgical technologist may. However, the specific, yet broad concepts of anatomy, and physiology are somewhat universal for all health career students. This course strives to provide some of those broad concepts





ANATOMY



The structure of body parts and their relationship to one another.


Branches of anatomy include:


Gross Anatomy

That which can be seen with the naked eye alone


Surface Anatomy

The identification of structures (often bony) that protrude the skin


Regional Anatomy

The identification of structures that are contained within body regions (thoracic, abdominal, pelvic, etc.)


Systemic Anatomy

The identification of structures that are part of organ systems (digestive, respiratory, urogenital, muscular, skeletal, etc.)


Developmental Anatomy

Identification of how the anatomy of structures change over time.


Microscopic Anatomy

Identification of structures that require the use of a microscope to examine.




PHYSIOLOGY



If anatomy is the what and where, then physiology is the how.


Physiology is the study of function of body parts--how body parts carry out their function.


Individual cells contain and manufacture chemicals, cells combine to form tissues, and tissues combine to perform organs. Within these structures exists a myriad of chemical reactions and activities that collectively represent the physiology of the human body.







PRINCIPLE OF COMPLEMENTARITY



It is difficult to fully separate anatomy from physiology. Certainly, structure and function are very much so interrelated.


The structure and contents of cells, tissues, and organs are specialized for the performance of their unique functions.


Even without knowing the specific function, by examining and understanding the anatomy of certain structures one may make credible assumptions as to function.


This is known as the principle of complementarity. This principle is why many education institutions, including Kingsborough combine the study of anatomy and physiology.​




ANATOMICAL POSITION



To ensure that life scientists and clinicians have common points of reference when describing the human body, the anatomical position, as depicted to the left, is the reference position for locating structure on/in the human body and describing movement.




ANATOMICAL TERMINOLOGY



So not only will you be learning new concepts in anatomy and physiology, you will also be learning a new language including directional and reference terms, measurement terms, and latin-based medical terminology terms. Rather than providing a list of terms for you to memorize, these terms will be introduced as they become relevant to the topics being covered in the hope that they will make more sense and therefore eaiser to remember.






The Planes of the Body



A plane is an imaginary two-dimensional surface that passes through the body. There are three planes commonly referred to in anatomy and medicine.

Sagittal Plane

Separates the body or body part into right or left portions


Frontal Plane

Separates the body or body part into anterior and posterior portions


Transverse Plane

Separates the body or body part into superior and inferior portions


When the prefix “mid” is added, it means that the plane separates the body or body part into halves.



Joint motion is said to occur in planes around axes



An axis is an imaginary line running through a joint around which rotation may occur.

Flexion and extension occur in the Sagittal plane around a frontal (medial-lateral) axis


Abduction and adduction occur in the frontal plane around a sagittal (anterior-posterior) axis


Rotation occurs in the transverse plane around a vertical (longitudinal) axis




-CHECKPOINT-



This is a good time to pause and assess your knowledge of key concepts. Below are links to a few learning activities that might assist your mastery of the material.

Completing some of the tasks may also earn you class participation credit! However, most importantly it will assist in your learning.


You should attempt to complete the assignments without using your text, notes, etc., as they are designed to test your knowledge—just like taking a test in class—but without the grade consequences.


Tasks include mock exams, games, clinical scenarios, and more. Click/tap on the activities and see how much you know!


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