Janet Rae-Dupree

To successfully study anatomy and physiology, you'll want to understand all the Latin and Greek roots, prefixes and suffixes. Also, make sure to get a good foundational knowledge of anatomic cavities, anatomic positions (standard positions when looking at an anatomical drawing), and anatomic planes.Latin and Greek in anatomy and physiologyScience, especially medicine, is permeated with Latin and Greek terms.

Atoms tend to arrange themselves in the most stable patterns possible, which means that they have a tendency to complete or fill their outermost electron orbits. They join with other atoms to do just that. The force that holds atoms together in collections known as molecules is referred to as a chemical bond. There are two main types and some secondary types of chemical bonds:Ionic bondIonic bonding involves a transfer of an electron, so one atom gains an electron while one atom loses an electron.

It may look like cells are living out their useful lives simply doing whatever specialized jobs they do best, but in truth mitosis is a continuous process. When the cell isn’t actively splitting itself in two, it’s actively preparing to do so. DNA and centrioles (arrays of microtubules) are being replicated, and the cell is bulking up on cytoplasm to make sure there’s enough for both daughter cells.

Science, especially medicine, is permeated with Latin and Greek terms. Latin names are used for every part of the body; and since the Greeks are the founders of modern medicine, Greek terms are common in medical terminology, as well. Latin and Greek roots This table represents some common Latin and Greek root

Do you feel a sneeze coming on the moment you even hear the word “pollen”? Allergies may feel like they simply cannot have an upside, but don’t wish your hay fever away too fast: Two decades of studies suggest your suffering may not be entirely for naught. When allergies push the immune system into overdrive, they may be doing you a favor — even as they make you miserable.

From almost the moment they were discovered, bacteria have had a rotten reputation. “Germs,” people called them. “Bugs.” People scrubbed them away, developed drugs to kill them, cursed them for causing sickness and death. It turns out, however, that the 100 trillion microbes living in and on people — that’s ten single-cell organisms for every one human cell — are a fundamental component of human physiology.

Molecules that pass muster with the cell membrane enter the cytoplasm, a mixture of macromolecules (such as proteins and RNA), small organic molecules (such as glucose), ions, and water. Because of the various materials in the cytoplasm, it’s a colloid, or mixture of phases, that alternates from a sol (a liquid colloid with solid suspended in it) to a gel (a colloid in which the dispersed phase combines with the medium to form a semisolid material).

Muscles make up most of the fleshy parts of the body and average 43 percent of the body’s weight. Muscle tissue is classified in three ways based on the tissue’s function, shape, and structure: Smooth muscle tissue: So-called because it doesn’t have the cross-striations typical of other kinds of muscle, the spindle-shaped fibers of smooth muscle tissue do have faint longitudinal striping.

Whenever you see an anatomical drawing, like the one below, you’re looking at the anatomic position. This standard position (standing straight, looking forward, arms at your side, and facing forward) keeps everyone on the same page when you’re talking anatomy and physiology. Keep this list handy of anatomic d