Normal human anatomy and physiology is complex and is the very foundation of medical care. To manage any pathological conditions, or promote health, clinicians and health care workers must first have a sound understanding of normal anatomy and physiology.





The chemical level of the hierarchy of structural organization is the base level on which all the other levels are built upon.



Water, proteins, fatty acids, sugars, elements, ions, amino acids, are just a few critical chemicals that sustain life. Chemicals interact with one another in various ways to synthesize new chemicals or breakdown complex chemicals. These interactions that define and support life.


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The cellular level is the upper adjacent level to the chemical level. Cells can be considered as the individual laboratories in which the myriad of chemicals interact.



The Modern Cell Theory


All organisms are composed of cells and cell products


The cell is the functional unit of life


An organism's structure and function are due structure and function of the cells it is composed of


All cells arise from other cells



The upper adjacent level to the cellular level is the tissue level. A tissue is made up of a collection of same or similar cells grouped together to perform a common function. There are four primary tissues of the human body: epithelial tissue, connective tissue, muscle tissue, and nervous tissue.



The upper adjacent to the tissue level is the organ level. An organ is a collection of two or more (usually four) tissues that are grouped together to perform a common function. Examples include stomach, kidney, heart, liver, etc.



The next upper adjacent level is the organ system level. An organ system is a collection of organs that are anatomically or physiologically grouped together to perform a common function. An example is the digestive system consisting of the organs that include the mouth, esophagus, stomach, intestines, liver, and pancreas.



The organismal level is the sum total of all lower levels.

The organismal level is you.

It is the ultimate representation of the reality that all organisms are composed of cells and cell products and that it is the structure and function of those cells that ultimately determine the structure and function of the whole organism.




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The application of the hierarchical structure of organization of the human body is the basis of medical differential diagnosis and intervention.





--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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