Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology

1. 1 Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology

2. Multimedia Asset Directory Slide 24 Medical Specialties Video Slide 32 Vital Signs Video Slide 45 Medical Assisting Video Slide 46 Health Information Management Video Slide 47 Medical Transcription Video

3. Introduction • Health professionals speak a foreign language called medical terminology. • This chapter will lay the foundation for learning this new language. • Future chapters will build upon the foundation that begins here, so at journey’s end you will not only understand anatomy and physiology, but be fluent in the language.

4. Learning Objectives • Understand the term “anatomy and physiology” and its various related areas. • Construct and define medical terms using word roots, prefixes, and suffixes. • Explain the concept and importance of homeostasis.

5. anatomy (ah NA tom ee) diagnosis (dye ag NOH sis) etiology (ee tee ALL oh jee) homeostasis (hoh mee oh STAY sis) macroscopic anatomy (mak roh SCOP ic) metabolism (meh TAB oh lizm) microscopic anatomy (my kroh SCOP ic) pathology (path ALL oh jee) physiology (fiz ee ALL oh jee) Pronunciation Guide Click on the megaphone icon before each item to hear the pronunciation.

6. prognosis (prog NOH sis) syndrome (SIN drohm) Pronunciation Guide Click on the megaphone icon before each item to hear the pronunciation.

7. Anatomy • Anatomy is the study of the internal and external structures of the human body. • The human body is complex and amazing; to truly understand it you must know how it is put together. • Anatomy is a Greek word meaning “to cut apart.” • Specialties within the field of anatomy include microscopic anatomy and macroscopic (gross) anatomy.

8. Microscopic Anatomy • Specialized field of anatomy • The study of structures that can only be seen and studied with magnification aids such as a microscope • The study of cellular structures is called cytology. • The study of tissue samples is called histology.

9. Macroscopic Anatomy • Also called gross anatomy • The study of the structures of the body visible to the naked, or unaided, eye • Examples include • The study of the skeletal system • Looking at an X-ray (radiology)

10. Physiology • Focuses on the function and vital processes of the various structures making up the human body • Closely related to anatomy because it is the study of how an anatomical structure actually functions • Deals with all the vital processes of life and is more complex, with more sub-specialties

11. Subspecialties of Physiology • Human physiology • Animal physiology • Cellular physiology • Neurophysiology

12. Putting It All Together • Anatomy focuses on structures and how something is put together. • Physiology is the study of how these different structures work together to make the body function as a whole. • The design of the structure is often related to its function.

13. Putting It All Together • Human anatomy and physiology forms the foundation for all medical practice. • Anything that upsets normal structure or function can be called pathology or pathophysiology.

14. Figure 1–1 A. Normal red blood cells (RBCs) are flexible and donut shaped and move with ease through blood vessels.

15. Figure 1–1 (continued) B. The anatomical distortion of the structure of RBCs in sickle cell anemia affects its normal function to carry oxygen. In addition, the sickle cells lose their ability to bend and pass through the small blood vessels, blocking blood flow.

16. Medical Terminology • The language of anatomy and physiology is primarily based on medical terminology. • Learning medical terminology is easier if you understand the root terms, prefixes, and suffixes that can be put together to form a large variety of terms. • Each medical term has a basic structure upon which to build, called a word root. • Prefixes and suffixes are added to root words and can change or alter the meaning.

17. Figure 1–2 How prefixes and suffixes can be combined with a word root to form many medical terms.

21. Learning Hint • If a suffix begins with a vowel, drop the vowel in the combining form. • The medical definition indicates the last part of the term first, especially when suffixes are used. • Inflammation of the stomach is gastritis not itisgast and one who studies the stomach is a gastrologist, not an ologistgastro. • When using prefixes, put the part in the order you say the definition. • Slow heart rate is bradycardia, not cardiabrady.

22. Common MedicalAbbreviations • Extensively used in the medical profession • Useful in simplifying long, complicated terms for diseases, diagnostic procedures, and therapies during charting • You will learn more abbreviations with each chapter

24. Click here to view a video on the topic of Medical Specialties. Back to Directory

25. The Metric System • The metric system is the mathematical language of anatomy and physiology. • Two major systems of measurements are used in the world today. • The United States Customary System (USCS) • Used in the United States and Myanmar • The Système International (SI) • Used everywhere else, especially in science, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals companies • Also known as the metric system; based on the power of 10

26. The United States Customary System (USCS) • Based on the British Imperial System • Different designations for length, weight, and volume • Volume in ounces, pints, quarts, gallons, pounds • Distances in inches, feet, yards, and miles • Weight in pounds, ounces, and tons • Commonly called the English system • Cumbersome to use because there is no common base, with no relationship between each unit

27. Prehospital Documentation • In EMS, proper documentation of patient findings and care provided is essential. • Standard abbreviations are necessary so other health care providers will understand them. • Many EMS systems have an approved list of standardized abbreviations that should be followed.

28. Language of Disease • Things can go wrong with the human body. • Disease is a condition in which the body fails to function normally. • The body works to make things function smoothly and maintain a balance known as homeostasis. • Eating habits, smoking, inherited traits, trauma, cancer, environmental factors, and aging can alter this balance.

29. Signs and Symptoms of Disease • Signs are definitive, objective, obvious indicators of an illness. • Vital signs (temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure) • Fever • Cough

30. Figure 1–4 A health care professional taking a radial pulse and common pulse points.

31. Signs and Symptoms of Disease • Symptoms are more subjective and difficult to measure consistently. • Pain – tolerance to pain varies in different people • A set of signs and symptoms that commonly occur with a specific disease process is called a syndrome.

32. Click here to view a video on the topic of Vital Signs. Back to Directory

33. Diagnosis • Diagnosis translates from the Greek as “know through or completely.” • Discovering as many signs and symptoms as possible can aid in making a diagnosis. • History and results of diagnostic testing are also required. • Prognosis is the prediction of the outcome of a disease. • Etiology is the cause of the disease.

34. Clinical Application: Metabolic Syndrome or Syndrome X • There is a disturbing new syndrome, affecting nearly one quarter of the United States’ adult population, known as Metabolic Syndrome or Syndrome X. • Individuals who exhibit this syndrome are at an increased risk for a form of diabetes, heart attack, and/or stroke. • This syndrome is the result of poor diet and lack of exercise.

35. Metabolic Syndrome or Syndrome X • People with this syndrome exhibit three of five common conditions: • High blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia) • High blood pressure (hypertension) • Abdominal obesity • High triglycerides • Low blood levels of HDL (good cholesterol)

36. Amazing Facts: Bizarre Signs and Symptoms • There are some strange signs and symptoms that are indications of disease. There are many others that aren’t listed here. • Generalized itching – Hodgkin’s disease • Sweating at night – Tuberculosis • A hunger for clay or starchy paste – Iron deficiency • Fruity smelling breath – Diabetes • Magenta colored tongue – Riboflavin deficiency

37. Amazing Facts:Bizarre Signs and Symptoms • There are some strange signs and symptoms that are indications of disease. There are many others that aren’t listed here. • Absence of moons on fingernails – Kidney disease • Hairy tongue – Results from improper usage of antibiotics • Spoon shaped fingernails – Iron deficiency • Brown linear streaks on fingernails – Melanoma

38. Homeostasis • Homeostasis is the physiological process that monitors and maintains a stable internal environment or equilibrium. • Survival depends on our ability to maintain homeostasis. • Homeostatic regulation refers to the adjustments made in the human organism to maintain a stable internal environment. • The thermostat in your home is an example of a homeostatic control.

39. Negative Feedback Loop • If the feedback opposes the stimulus, it is a negative feedback loop • The hypothalamus in the brain uses a negative feedback loop to control body temperature and maintain homeostasis.

40. Positive Feedback • Positive feedback increases the magnitude of a change versus resisting change. • This kind of a process is also known as a vicious cycle. • This is not a way to regulate your body because it increases a change away from a set point. • Often harmful if the cycle cannot be broken. • An example is the recurrent contraction of the uterus during childbirth.

41. FROM THE STREETS You respond to the scene of a patient who cut himself while peeling an apple. Upon arrival you find that the patient’s cut finger has clotted. This is an example of what type of feedback process?

42. FROM THE STREETS You respond to the scene of a patient who cut himself while peeling an apple. Upon arrival you find that the patient’s cut finger has clotted. This is an example of what type of feedback process? Positive Feedback

43. Figure 1–5 The homeostatic control of normal body temperature (37ºC or 98.6ºF).

44. Figure 1–5 (continued) The homeostatic control of normal body temperature (37ºC or 98.6ºF).

45. Click here to view a video on the topic of Medical Assisting. Back to Directory

46. Click here to view a video on the topic of Health Information Management. Back to Directory

47. Click here to view a video on the topic of Medical Transcription. Back to Directory

48. Snapshots from the Journey • Anatomy – study of the internal and external structures of the body; Physiology – study of function; Pathology – study of disease • Medical terminology – language of medicine combining root words, prefixes, and suffixes • Metric system – mathematical language of medicine based on the power of ten • Homeostasis – the body’s attempt to maintain a balanced, or stable, environment; uses negative feedback

49. Case Study A 66-year-old Asian male involved in a vehicular accident is taken to the ICU with SOB and abdominal pain. He has acrocyanosis, tachycardia, and a past medical history of cardiopathy. He weighs 150 pounds and is 5 feet 6 inches tall. His chest X-ray shows an enlarged heart. His facial injuries will require future rhinoplastic surgery. An electrocardiogram and lower GI series is ordered.

50. Case Study Questions • Where exactly in the hospital was the patient taken? • Describe the patient’s color, heart rate, and breathing. • What is the medical term for what the X-ray showed? • What future facial surgery will be needed?