Human Body Systems

Anatomy

• Body systems:
  • Integumentary system: skin, hair, nails, and associated glands
  • Musculoskeletal system: bones, muscles, and tendons
  • Nervous system: brain, spinal cord, and nerves
  • Circulatory system: heart, blood vessels, and blood
  • Respiratory system: lungs, trachea, bronchi, and diaphragm
  • Digestive system: mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine
  • Endocrine system: glands that produce hormones (e.g., thyroid, adrenal, pancreas)
  • Urinary system: kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra
  • Reproductive system: male and female genital organs
• Body cavities:
  • Cranial cavity: contains the brain
  • Thoracic cavity: contains the heart and lungs
  • Abdominal cavity: contains the digestive organs
  • Pelvic cavity: contains the reproductive organs
• Directional terms:
  • Superior: above
  • Inferior: below
  • Anterior: front
  • Posterior: back
  • Medial: towards the midline
  • Lateral: away from the midline
  • Proximal: near the point of attachment
  • Distal: far from the point of attachment

Medical Terminology

• Prefixes:
  • Endo-: within
  • Exo-: outside
  • Hypo-: under
  • Hyper-: above
  • Anti-: against
  • Post-: after
  • Pre-: before
• Suffixes:
  • -itis: inflammation
  • -oma: tumor
  • -osis: condition or disease
  • -algia: pain
  • -ectomy: surgical removal
• Roots:
  • Cardi-: heart
  • Neuro-: nerve
  • Gastr-: stomach
  • Pulmon-: lung
  • Hepat-: liver
• Common medical terms:
  • Diagnosis: identification of a disease or condition
  • Prognosis: prediction of the outcome of a disease or condition
  • Symptom: subjective experience of a disease or condition
  • Sign: objective evidence of a disease or condition

Pharmacology

• Drug categories:
  • Analgesics: pain relief
  • Antibiotics: bacterial infection treatment
  • Antihistamines: allergy treatment
  • Antihypertensives: high blood pressure treatment
  • Anti-inflammatory: inflammation reduction
• Medication administration:
  • Oral: by mouth
  • Topical: applied to the skin
  • Parenteral: injected or infused
  • Inhalation: breathed in
• Medication effects:
  • Side effects: unintended effects of a medication
  • Adverse effects: harmful effects of a medication
  • Contraindications: reasons not to use a medication
  • Interactions: effects of combining medications

Administrative Procedures

• Patient communication:
  • Confidentiality: maintaining patient privacy
  • Informed consent: patient agreement to treatment
  • Patient education: teaching patients about their condition and care
• Medical records:
  • Electronic health records (EHRs): digital storage of patient information
  • Paper records: physical storage of patient information
  • HIPAA: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
• Office procedures:
  • Scheduling: booking patient appointments
  • Billing and coding: assigning codes for insurance reimbursement
  • Inventory management: maintaining supplies and equipment

Clinical Procedures

• Vital signs:
  • Temperature: body temperature
  • Pulse: heart rate
  • Blood pressure: force of blood against artery walls
  • Respiration: breathing rate
  • Oxygen saturation: oxygen levels in the blood
• Diagnostic tests:
  • Blood tests: laboratory analysis of blood samples
  • Urine tests: laboratory analysis of urine samples
  • Imaging studies: X-rays, CT scans, MRI, and ultrasound
• Medical equipment:
  • Stethoscope: listening to heart and lung sounds
  • Blood pressure cuff: measuring blood pressure
  • Thermometer: measuring body temperature
  • Pulse oximeter: measuring oxygen saturation

Anatomy

• Human body organized into 11 systems that work together to maintain homeostasis:
  • Integumentary system protects the body from external damage and regulates body temperature
  • Musculoskeletal system provides support, movement, and protection
  • Nervous system controls and coordinates body functions
  • Circulatory system transports oxygen and nutrients to cells and removes waste products
  • Respiratory system brings oxygen into the body and removes carbon dioxide
  • Digestive system breaks down food into nutrients
  • Endocrine system produces hormones that regulate various bodily functions
  • Urinary system filters waste and excess fluids from the blood
  • Reproductive system produces sex cells and supports the development of a fetus
• Body cavities provide space and protection for internal organs:
  • Cranial cavity contains the brain
  • Thoracic cavity contains the heart and lungs
  • Abdominal cavity contains the digestive organs
  • Pelvic cavity contains the reproductive organs
• Directional terms used to describe the location of body structures:
  • Superior: above
  • Inferior: below
  • Anterior: front
  • Posterior: back
  • Medial: towards the midline
  • Lateral: away from the midline
  • Proximal: near the point of attachment
  • Distal: far from the point of attachment

Medical Terminology

• Prefixes modify root words to indicate location, direction, or intensity:
  • Endo- means within
  • Exo- means outside
  • Hypo- means under
  • Hyper- means above
• Suffixes indicate the type of condition or procedure:
  • -itis means inflammation
  • -oma means tumor
  • -osis means condition or disease
  • -algia means pain
  • -ectomy means surgical removal
• Roots provide the core meaning of a medical term:
  • Cardi- means heart
  • Neuro- means nerve
  • Gastr- means stomach
  • Pulmon- means lung
  • Hepat- means liver
• Common medical terms used in healthcare:
  • Diagnosis: identification of a disease or condition
  • Prognosis: prediction of the outcome of a disease or condition
  • Symptom: subjective experience of a disease or condition
  • Sign: objective evidence of a disease or condition

Pharmacology

• Drug categories based on their therapeutic effects:
  • Analgesics relieve pain
  • Antibiotics treat bacterial infections
  • Antihistamines treat allergies
  • Antihypertensives lower blood pressure
  • Anti-inflammatory reduce inflammation
• Medication administration routes:
  • Oral: taken by mouth
  • Topical: applied to the skin
  • Parenteral: injected or infused
  • Inhalation: breathed in
• Medication effects:
  • Side effects: unintended effects of a medication
  • Adverse effects: harmful effects of a medication
  • Contraindications: reasons not to use a medication
  • Interactions: effects of combining medications

Administrative Procedures

• Patient communication essential for effective care:
  • Confidentiality: maintaining patient privacy
  • Informed consent: patient agreement to treatment
  • Patient education: teaching patients about their condition and care
• Medical records document patient information:
  • Electronic health records (EHRs): digital storage of patient information
  • Paper records: physical storage of patient information
  • HIPAA: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act regulates patient data
• Office procedures ensure efficient operation:
  • Scheduling: booking patient appointments
  • Billing and coding: assigning codes for insurance reimbursement
  • Inventory management: maintaining supplies and equipment

Clinical Procedures

• Vital signs measured to assess patient health:
  • Temperature: body temperature
  • Pulse: heart rate
  • Blood pressure: force of blood against artery walls
  • Respiration: breathing rate
  • Oxygen saturation: oxygen levels in the blood
• Diagnostic tests help diagnose and monitor conditions:
  • Blood tests: laboratory analysis of blood samples
  • Urine tests: laboratory analysis of urine samples
  • Imaging studies: X-rays, CT scans, MRI, and ultrasound
• Medical equipment used in patient care:
  • Stethoscope: listening to heart and lung sounds
  • Blood pressure cuff: measuring blood pressure
  • Thermometer: measuring body temperature
  • Pulse oximeter: measuring oxygen saturation