(Summary) Ian Peate and Suzanne Evans (eds.), Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology. For Nursing and Healthcare Students. Third Edition (John Wiley And Sons Ltd 2020)

Chapter 1 ‘Basic Scientific Principles of Physiology’. Suzanne Evans Learning aims of this chapter are 1. to give an outline of the organisation of the body, 2. describing the characteristics and requirements of all living things, 3. understand biochemistry, 4. describe the pH-scale and its importance to life and 5. lists the difference between organic and inorganic substances. This first chapter introduces the reader to the new vocabulary and grammar to understand this material. Two terms need to be distinguished: (1) anatomy: the study of structure and (2) physiology: the study of function. Although they are described separately, they are interdependent. Then, six Levels of Organisation are described: 1. The chemical level: the atoms, molecules and macromolecules that we are made of. 2. The cellular level: the smallest living units in our bodies. 3. The tissue level: the groups of cells specialised to perform specific functions, e.g., nerve or muscle tissue. 4. The organ level: a structure, consisting of many tissues, specialised to perform a specific function, e.g., the heart. 5. The organ system level: a system, consisting of more than one organ, specialised to perform a range of functions, e.g., the cardiovascular system. 6. The organism level: the whole individual. Then, seven Characteristics of Life are mentioned which all living organisms have in common: 1. Sensitivity – organisms need to be able to sense and respond to changes in their environment such as changes in light levels, temperature, chemical composition, presence of threats, etc. 2. Nutrition – seeking out, ingesting using food to supply energy and the raw materials for growth and development is a very basic requirement. 3. Respiration – this is the means by which an organism obtains and uses oxygen to release energy from food to power the other activities listed here. 4. Movement – the ability to change position is essential if an organism is to be able to escape threats, find food, other members of the species, etc. 5. Growth – this essential for the development of an organism from birth to adulthood, but also for the renewal and repair of body parts during the life of an organism. 6. Reproduction – this is an essential process, nor for the survival of the individual, but for the survival of the species. Sexual reproduction has the added bonus of continually mixing and re- mixing genetic material to produce genetically unique individuals each time, which increases the ability of a species to adapt and survive over the long term. 7. Excretion – the removal of waste substances produced by metabolic processes from the body, to prevent them building up harmful levels. The authors then want to sum up five Bodily Requirements which are actually four: water, food, oxygen and sunlight. In the second edition, sunlight was replaced by pressure and heat. The authors then describe Life at the Chemical Level, starting with the elements (ca 100). A chemical element is a pure chemic substance that cannot be broken down into anything simpler by chemical means. Based on physical and chemical properties, elements can be classified as either metals, metalloids or non-metals. 3