AMA 170 - Anatomy &

Physiology/Medical
Terminology/Pathology 1
Introduction
 3 objectives to keep in mind as
you study:
 Analyze words by dividing into component
parts: root, suffix, combining form

 Relatemedical terms to structure and

function of human body

 Beaware of spelling and pronunciation

problems (see the handouts on the website)
 Analyze words by dividing into
component parts: root, suffix,
combining form
Root: foundation of the word
Suffix: word ending
Combining vowel: usually “o” links the two

Example: cardi/o/logy
root/combining vowel/suffix
heart/combining vowel/study of
meaning: study of the heart
 Structural organization of the
body
Cells: smallest living fundamental unit

Examples of some cells in the body:

 Muscle cells: contract

 Nerve: conduct electrical impulses
 Epithelial: skin and lining
 Fat cell: contain empty spaces to store fat
 Cells: smallest living
fundamental unit
 cellmembrane: surrounds, protects and
regulates what goes in and out

 nucleus:controls the operations of the cells

and determines function

 chromosomes: 23 pairs in all human body cells

except sperm and egg which contain half so
that when reproduction occurs they combine;
contain genes that contain DNA that regulate
activity by their sequence which is like a code
that tells the cell what to do
 Cells: smallest living
fundamental unit
 Cytoplasm:
between nucleus and cell
membrane does the work of the cell

 Mitochondria:found inside the cytoplasm are

the power plants; they create oxygen by
burning food

 Endoplasmic reticulum: also found inside the

cytoplasm are like cellular tunnels in which
proteins are manufactured
 Cell Chemical Reactions
 Catabolism:
chemical reaction that breaks
down complex foods to release energy

 Anabolism: process of building up complex

materials (amino acids) to make larger
proteins

 Metabolism: both processes together; the

total chemical process going on
 Tissues: groups of similar cells
working together to do a specific
job
For example:
 Muscle tissue contracts
 Epithelial tissue forms linings and
covers i.e. skin
 Connective tissue do just that: fat,
cartilage, bone and blood
 Nerve tissues conduct impulses all over
the body
 Organs: structures composed of
several types of tissue
o An organ (Latin: organum, "instrument, tool")
is a group of tissues that perform a specific
function or group of functions.

o Usually there is a main tissue and sporadic

tissues. The main tissue is the one that is
unique for the specific organ.

o For example, main tissue in the heart is the

myocardium, while sporadic are the nervous,
blood, connective etc.
 Systems: groups of organs
working together to perform
complex functions
There are 9 body systems: Digestive, Urinary,
Respiratory, Reproductive, Endocrine, Nervous,
Circulatory, Musculoskeletal, Skin & Sense organs

A group of related organs is an organ system. Organs

within a system may be related in any number of
ways, but relationships of function are most commonly
used. For example the urinary system comprises
organs that work together to produce, store, and
carry urine.
 Body Cavity: space within the
body that contains internal
organs
 The human body consists of the following cavities:
 dorsal body cavity
 cranial cavity, enclosed by the Skull and contains the brain,
eyes, and ears.
 spinal canal, enclosed by the spine and contains the spinal
cord.
 ventral body cavity
 thoracic cavity, enclosed by the ribcage and contains the
lungs and heart.
 abdominopelvic cavity
 abdominal cavity, enclosed by the ribcage and pelvis
and contains the kidneys, ureters, stomach,
intestines, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas./pelvic
cavity, enclosed by the pelvis and contains bladder,
anus and reproductive system.
 Things to study further…..
 Study the regions, quadrants, planes,
divisions of the spinal column and
positional and directional terms

 Studythe prefixes and suffixes in

chapters 3 and 4…practice, use cards,
CD, and repetition… this will carry you
throughout the entire text.