Pat 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.

You’ve likely had your blood pressure taken before—the strap wrapped around your upper arm then inflated just to the point that you consider ripping it off from the pain.The purpose of this contraption is to block blood flow to your forearm. Then, as air is let out, blood begins to flow turbulently creating the audible sounds of Kortokoff (that’s why the stethoscope is positioned on your antecubital region, or inner elbow).

Innate, or non-specific, defenses are the tools our bodies use to attack foreign invaders regardless of their ilk. Adaptive, or specific, defense is part of the lymphatic system that protects our bodies from foreign invaders. How our innate defenses protect us Germs can be bacteria, viruses, fungi, or other microorganisms, and other foreign particles (pollen, toxins) can be problematic.

Lymph nodes are the site of filtration in the lymphatic system. Also sometimes incorrectly referred to as lymph glands—they don’t secrete anything, so technically they’re not glands—these bean-shaped sacs are surrounded by connective tissue (and therefore are tough to spot). A lymph node.Lymph nodes contain macrophages, which destroy bacteria, cancer cells, and other matter in the lymph fluid.

Respiration, or the exchange of gases between an organism and its environment, occurs in three distinct processes: breathing, exchanging gases, and cellular respiration. Here’s a breakdown: Breathing: The technical term is pulmonary ventilation, or the movement of air into and out of the lungs. Breathing is comprised of two distinct actions: inspiration and expiration.

Whereas the axial skeleton lies along the body’s central axis, the appendicular skeleton’s 126 bones include those in all four appendages — arms and legs — plus the two primary girdles to which the appendages attach: the pectoral (chest) girdle and the pelvic (hip) girdle. The pectoral girdle is made up of a pair of clavicles, or collarbones, which attach to the sternum medially and to the scapula laterally articulating with the acromion process, a bony prominence at the top of each of the pair of scapulae, better known as shoulder blades.

The study of muscles is called myology after the Greek word mys, which means “mouse.” Muscles perform a number of functions vital to maintaining life, including Movement: Skeletal muscles (those attached to bones) convert chemical energy into mechanical work, producing movement ranging from finger tapping to a swift kick of a ball by contracting, or shortening.