BIO-50A: Anatomy & Physiology I
Exam 1 Study Guide
Orientation to the Human Body
a. Levels of organization
What are the different levels of organization for the human body?
Organism, organ system, organs, tissues, cells, molecules, atoms
How is “anatomy” different from “physiology”?
Anatomy - study of body structures and relationships (the map of the body)
Physiology-study of body functions ( how it works)
b. Necessary life functions
What organ systems are the focus of BIO-50A?
Skeletal, muscular, integumentary, nervous system
What necessary life functions do these organs systems perform?
c. Anatomical (body) regions
What body regions can be seen from the anterior (a “front-on” view) vs the body regions seen from
the posterior (someone’s back towards you)?
How is the body positioned in “anatomical position”?
Palms forward and thumbs out
What body regions are contained in the cephalic region? The upper limb (arm, forearm, wrist,
hand)? The lower limb (thigh, leg, ankle, foot)?
Cephalic region Upper limb region Lower limb region
Frontal, orbital, nasal, oral, Acromial, brachial, antecubital, Coxal, femoral, patellar, popliteal, crural,
mental, otic, occipital olecranal, antebrachial, carpal, sural, fibular or peroneal
(Manus) pollex, metacarpal, (Pedal) tarsal, calcaneal, metatarsal, digital,
palmar, digital plantar, hallux
, d. Anatomical (body) cavities
What cavities are contained in the ventral body cavity?
Thoracic cavity (pleural cavity, pericardial cavity,
mediastinum and abdominal cavity and pelvic cavity.
Dorsal body cavities?
cranial cavity and vertebral cavity
What organ(s) is contained in the pericardial cavity? Heart
The abdominal cavity? stomach, live, kidneys
e. Abdominal regions
What are the names of the abdominopelvic regions (tic-tac-toe)?
Right and left hypochondriac, right and left lumbar, right and left
iliac regions, down the middle epigastric, umbilical, and hypogastric
regions
In which of these regions would you find the following: liver,
stomach, urinary bladder? The liver is in the right hypochondriac
region, The stomach is in the epigastric and left hypochondriac
region, The urinary bladder is in the hypogastric region
f. Anatomical planes
What are the three planes that can be used to separate the
human body?
Coronal plane (frontal plane) divides body into anterior and
posterior portions
Sagittal plane divides body into left and right portions
(midsagittal, parasagittal)
Transverse plane (cross-sectional plane) divides the body superior
and inferior
What’s the difference between midsagittal and parasagittal?
Midsagittal is right down the middle or median
Parasagittal is a little to the right or the left (offset from the midline)
g. Anatomical terminology
What are the pairs of directional terms we can use to describe body parts
and regions?
Superior- Inferior, Anterior- Posterior, Medial, Lateral, Intermediate
(medial-lateral) Proximal-Distal, Superficial-Deep
Be able to visualize any two body regions or abdominopelvic regions and describe them using
anatomical terminology. For example: “X region is more proximal than Y region” The cephalic region
is superior and abdominal region is inferior.
Exam 1 Study Guide
Orientation to the Human Body
a. Levels of organization
What are the different levels of organization for the human body?
Organism, organ system, organs, tissues, cells, molecules, atoms
How is “anatomy” different from “physiology”?
Anatomy - study of body structures and relationships (the map of the body)
Physiology-study of body functions ( how it works)
b. Necessary life functions
What organ systems are the focus of BIO-50A?
Skeletal, muscular, integumentary, nervous system
What necessary life functions do these organs systems perform?
c. Anatomical (body) regions
What body regions can be seen from the anterior (a “front-on” view) vs the body regions seen from
the posterior (someone’s back towards you)?
How is the body positioned in “anatomical position”?
Palms forward and thumbs out
What body regions are contained in the cephalic region? The upper limb (arm, forearm, wrist,
hand)? The lower limb (thigh, leg, ankle, foot)?
Cephalic region Upper limb region Lower limb region
Frontal, orbital, nasal, oral, Acromial, brachial, antecubital, Coxal, femoral, patellar, popliteal, crural,
mental, otic, occipital olecranal, antebrachial, carpal, sural, fibular or peroneal
(Manus) pollex, metacarpal, (Pedal) tarsal, calcaneal, metatarsal, digital,
palmar, digital plantar, hallux
, d. Anatomical (body) cavities
What cavities are contained in the ventral body cavity?
Thoracic cavity (pleural cavity, pericardial cavity,
mediastinum and abdominal cavity and pelvic cavity.
Dorsal body cavities?
cranial cavity and vertebral cavity
What organ(s) is contained in the pericardial cavity? Heart
The abdominal cavity? stomach, live, kidneys
e. Abdominal regions
What are the names of the abdominopelvic regions (tic-tac-toe)?
Right and left hypochondriac, right and left lumbar, right and left
iliac regions, down the middle epigastric, umbilical, and hypogastric
regions
In which of these regions would you find the following: liver,
stomach, urinary bladder? The liver is in the right hypochondriac
region, The stomach is in the epigastric and left hypochondriac
region, The urinary bladder is in the hypogastric region
f. Anatomical planes
What are the three planes that can be used to separate the
human body?
Coronal plane (frontal plane) divides body into anterior and
posterior portions
Sagittal plane divides body into left and right portions
(midsagittal, parasagittal)
Transverse plane (cross-sectional plane) divides the body superior
and inferior
What’s the difference between midsagittal and parasagittal?
Midsagittal is right down the middle or median
Parasagittal is a little to the right or the left (offset from the midline)
g. Anatomical terminology
What are the pairs of directional terms we can use to describe body parts
and regions?
Superior- Inferior, Anterior- Posterior, Medial, Lateral, Intermediate
(medial-lateral) Proximal-Distal, Superficial-Deep
Be able to visualize any two body regions or abdominopelvic regions and describe them using
anatomical terminology. For example: “X region is more proximal than Y region” The cephalic region
is superior and abdominal region is inferior.
