anatomy
the science of body structures and the relationships among them
dissection
the careful cutting apart of the body structures to study their relationships
physiology
the science of body functions-how the body works
embryology
the first eight weeks of development after fertilization of a human egg
developmental biology
the complete development of an individual from fertilization to death
cell biology
cellular structure and functions
histology
microscopic structure of tissues
gross anatomy
structures that can be examined without a microscope
systemic anatomy
structure of specific systems of the body such as the nervous or respiratory systems
regional anatomy
specific regions of the body such as the head or chest
surface anatomy
surface markings of the body to understand internal anatomy through visualization and palpation (gentle touch)
imaging anatomy
body structures that can be visualized with techniques such as x-rays, MRI, and CT scans
pathological anatomy
structural changes (gross to microscopic) associated with disease
neurophysiology
functional properties of nerve cells
endocrinology
hormones (chemical regulators in the blood) and how they control body functions
cardiovascular physiology
functions of the heart and blood
immunology
the body's defenses against disease-causing agents
respiratory physiology
functions of the air passageways and lungs
renal physiology
functions of the kidneys
exercise physiology
changes in the cell and organ functions due to muscular activity
pathophysiology
functional changes associated with disease and aging
atoms
the smallest units of matter that participate in chemical reactions
molecules
two or more atoms joined together
chemical level, cellular level, tissue level, organ level, system level
levels of structural organization in the human body
cellular level
molecules combine to form cells, the basic structural units of an organism that are composed of chemicals
tissues
groups of cells and the materials surrounding them that work together to perform a particular function
epithelial tissue
covers body surfaces
connective tissue
connects, supports, and protects body organs while distributing blood vessels to other organs
muscular tissue
contracts to make body parts move and generates heat
nervous tissue
carries information from one part of the body to another through nerve impulses
organ level
different types of tissues are joined together
organs
structures that are composed of two or more different types of tissues
system
related organs with a common function
organism
any living individual
metabolism
the sum of all chemical processes that occur in the body
catabolism
the breakdown of complex chemical substances into simpler components
anabolism
the building up of complex chemical substances from smaller, simpler components
responsiveness
the body's ability to detect and respond to changes
movement
includes motion of the whole body, individual organs, single cells, and even tiny structures inside cells
growth
an increase in body size that results from an increase in the size of existing cells, increase in the number of cells, or both
differentiation
the development of a cell from an unspecialized to a specialized state
reproduction
the formation of new cells for tissue growth, repair, or replacement, or the production of a new individual