Human Anatomy Basics

Study Notes

Organ Systems

Nervous system: brain, spinal cord, nerves
Circulatory system: heart, blood vessels, blood
Respiratory system: lungs, trachea, bronchi
Digestive system: mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine
Endocrine system: glands that produce hormones (e.g. thyroid, pancreas, adrenal glands)
Integumentary system: skin, hair, nails, sweat glands
Muscular system: skeletal muscles, smooth muscles, cardiac muscles
Skeletal system: bones, joints, ligaments
Urinary system: kidneys, ureters, bladder, urethra

Body Regions

Axial body: head, neck, thorax, abdomen, pelvis
Appendicular body: upper limbs, lower limbs
Cranial cavity: contains the brain
Thoracic cavity: contains the heart, lungs
Abdominal cavity: contains the digestive organs
Pelvic cavity: contains the reproductive organs, urinary bladder

Body Cavities

Dorsal body cavity: contains the brain and spinal cord
Ventral body cavity: contains the thoracic and abdominopelvic cavities
Thoracic cavity: contains the heart, lungs
Abdominopelvic cavity: contains the digestive organs, urinary bladder, reproductive organs

Directional Terms

Anterior: front
Posterior: back
Superior: above
Inferior: below
Lateral: side
Medial: middle
Proximal: near the trunk
Distal: away from the trunk
Supine: lying on the back
Prone: lying on the stomach

Anatomical Position

Standing upright with feet together
Arms at the sides with palms facing forward
Head, eyes, and toes facing forward

Body Planes

Sagittal plane: divides the body into left and right halves
Frontal plane: divides the body into anterior and posterior halves
Transverse plane: divides the body into superior and inferior halves

Protein Structure

Primary Structure

Amino acid sequence determines overall protein properties
Sequence is written from N-terminus to C-terminus
Genetic code determines amino acid sequence

Secondary Structure

α-Helix: spiral shape, stabilized by hydrogen bonds
β-Sheet: flat, extended shape, stabilized by hydrogen bonds
Hydrogen bonds between amino acids stabilize secondary structure

Tertiary Structure

Overall 3D shape of a protein, determined by amino acid interactions
Hydrophobic interactions: non-polar amino acids avoid water and interact with each other
Ionic interactions: charged amino acids interact with each other
Disulfide bonds: covalent bonds between cysteine residues
Hydrogen bonds: between polar amino acids

Quaternary Structure

Multi-polypeptide chain proteins (subunits) interact to form a functional protein
Subunit interactions are important for protein function and stability

Protein Folding

Process by which a protein achieves its native conformation
Chemical interactions between amino acids influence protein folding
Hydrophobic and ionic interactions influence protein folding
Chaperone proteins assist in protein folding
Misfolded proteins can be dysfunctional or toxic

Description

Test your knowledge of human anatomy basics, including organ systems, body regions, cavities, directional terms, anatomical position, and body planes. Review the fundamentals of the human body and its various structures.

Human Anatomy Basics

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Questions and Answers

What is the function of the Circulatory system?

Which body cavity contains the brain and spinal cord?

What direction is inferior?

What is the purpose of the Integumentary system?

What plane divides the body into left and right halves?

What is the position of the body in the Anatomical position?

The sequence of amino acids in a protein is determined by the environment.

α-Helix is a type of secondary structure characterized by a flat, extended shape.

Hydrophobic interactions are responsible for the formation of disulfide bonds.

Quaternary structure is only important for protein stability, not for protein function.

Chaperone proteins are involved in the degradation of misfolded proteins.

The primary structure of a protein determines the overall 3D shape of the protein.