Anatomy and Physiology Lab: Homeostasis

Anatomy and Physiology

• Anatomy is the scientific discipline that investigates the body's structures and examines the relationship between the structure of a body part and its function.
• Physiology is the scientific investigation of the processes or functions of living things, aiming to understand and predict the body's responses to stimuli and maintain conditions within a narrow range of values in a constantly changing environment.
• The study of anatomy and physiology is crucial because it helps us understand the processes and events in our body, and existence and well-being are at stake.

Complementary of Structure and Functions

• The structure of a body part is related to its function, and function is dependent on structure.

Systems of the Human Body

• Nervous system: the major regulatory system that controls movements, physiological processes, and intellectual functions.
• Muscular system: produces body movements, maintains posture, and produces body heat.
• Lymphatic system: combats disease, maintains fluid balance, and consists of lymphatic vessels, lymph nodes, and other lymphatic organs.
• Endocrine system: a major regulatory system that produces hormones.

Elements and Atoms

• Elements are the simplest type of matter with unique chemical properties.
• An atom is the smallest particle of an element, consisting of protons, neutrons, and electrons.
• About 96% of the body's weight comes from the elements oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen.

Atomic Structure

• The nucleus of an atom consists of positively charged protons and uncharged neutrons.
• Electrons are negatively charged and move rapidly around the nucleus.

Chemical Bonds

• Polar covalent bond: unequal sharing of electrons between atoms.
• Nonpolar covalent bond: equal sharing of electrons between atoms.
• Polar molecules: molecules with asymmetrical electrical charge.
• Nonpolar molecules: molecules with symmetrical electrical charge.

Chemical Reactions

• Chemical reaction: the formation or breaking of chemical bonds between atoms, ions, molecules, or compounds.
• Reactants: substances that enter into a chemical reaction.
• Products: substances that result from a chemical reaction.
• Classification of chemical reactions: synthesis, decomposition, or exchange reactions.

Applications of Chemical Reactions

• X-rays: used to determine whether bones are broken or have other abnormalities.
• Radiopaque substances: dense materials that absorb x-rays.
• Mammograms: low-energy x-rays of the breast that can reveal tumors.

Energy and Chemical Reactions

• The difference in potential energy between food and waste products is used by the human body to drive activities such as growth, repair, movement, and heat production.
• The law of conservation of energy states that the total energy of the universe is constant, and energy is neither created nor destroyed.

Rate of Chemical Reactions

• Factors that affect the rate of chemical reactions: reactants, concentration, temperature, and catalysts.