Name: how anatomy and physiology work together
Uploaded: 2025-05-22T09:05:53.000Z
Duration: 1 min 24 s
Channel: JoVE

K12 Standards

ohios-learning-standards-and-model-curriculum

Ohio’s Learning Standards and Model Curriculum

9-12

Human Anatomy and Physiology

Levels Of Organization

Hierarchy of Organization

Overview of Anatomy and Physiology

The human body is a complex system studied in two branches of biology&#8212; anatomy and physiology.
Anatomy studies the structure of the body and the organization of different body parts. It is further divided into gross and microscopic anatomy.
Gross or macroanatomy examines large body parts, such as the heart and bones, without using a microscope.&#160;
In contrast, microscopic anatomy or microanatomy investigates individual cells and tissues using a microscope.
Physiology studies how different parts of the body function and the mechanisms that drive these functions. Based on the level of organization, physiology can be further classified into molecular, cellular, and systemic.&#160;
Systemic physiology can be further subdivided by organ systems. These divisions include cardiovascular physiology, which studies the heart and blood systems, and neurophysiology, which studies the nervous system.
The principle of complementarity of structure and function states that human anatomical structures support their physiological function. For example, muscles contain contractile cells allowing them to move the body.

overview of anatomy and physiology

Human anatomy is the scientific study of the body&#39;s structures. Some of these structures are very small and can only be observed and analyzed with the assistance of a microscope. Other larger structures can readily be seen, manipulated, measured, and weighed. The word &#34;anatomy&#34; comes from a Greek root that means &#34;to cut apart.&#34; Human anatomy was first studied by observing the body&#39;s exterior and the wounds of soldiers and other injuries. Later, physicians were allowed to dissect the bodies of the dead to augment their knowledge. When dissecting a body, its structures are cut apart to observe their physical attributes and relationships to one another. Dissection is still used in medical schools, anatomy courses, and pathology labs. However, several imaging techniques have been developed to observe structures in living people. These techniques allow clinicians to visualize structures inside the living body, such as a cancerous tumor or a fractured bone.
Anatomists take two general approaches to the study of the body&#39;s structures: regional and systemic. Regional anatomy is the study of the interrelationships of all of the structures in a specific body region, such as the abdomen. Studying regional anatomy helps us appreciate the interrelationships of body structures, such as how muscles, nerves, blood vessels, and other structures work together to serve a particular body region. In contrast, systemic anatomy is the study of the structures that make up a discrete body system&#8212;that is, a group of structures that work together to perform a unique body function. For example, a systemic anatomical study of the muscular system would consider all of the skeletal muscles of the body.
Whereas anatomy is about structure, physiology is about function. Human physiology is the scientific study of the chemistry and physics of the body&#39;s structures and how they work together to support the functions of life. Much of the study of physiology centers on the body&#39;s tendency toward homeostasis. Homeostasis is the state of steady internal conditions maintained by living things. The study of physiology certainly includes observation, both with the naked eye and microscopes, as well as manipulations and measurements. However, current advances in physiology usually depend on carefully designed laboratory experiments that reveal the functions of the many structures and chemical compounds that make up the human body.
This text is adapted from <a href="https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/1-4-requirements-for-human-life">Openstax, Anatomy and Physiology 2e, Section 1.1: Section Title</a> <a href="https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/1-4-requirements-for-human-life">Overview of Anatomy and Physiology</a>

Human anatomy is the scientific study of the body&#39;s structures. Some of these structures are very small and can only be observed and analyzed with the ...

Education

JoVE Core

Anatomy and Physiology

Unit 1

Introduction to the Human Body

KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS

how anatomy and physiology work together

Human anatomy studies the structures of the body. Some body structures are so small that they can only be seen and examined with a microscope. Others are large enough to be viewed, handled, measured, and weighed.

The word anatomy comes from a Greek root meaning “to cut apart.” Early study of the human body began with observing the outside of the body and the injuries seen in soldiers and other patients. Later, physicians were allowed to dissect dead bodies to learn more. Dissection means cutting a body apart to study its parts and how they relate to one another. It is still used in medical schools, anatomy courses, and pathology labs.

Today, several imaging methods also help scientists and clinicians study the living body. These techniques make it possible to see internal structures without dissection. They can show problems such as a cancerous tumor or a fractured bone.

Anatomists use two main approaches. Regional anatomy studies all of the structures in one body area, such as the abdomen. This helps show how muscles, nerves, blood vessels, and other parts work together in that region. Systemic anatomy studies one body system at a time, such as the muscular system, and looks at all of the skeletal muscles in the body.

Physiology focuses on function rather than structure. It is the scientific study of the chemistry and physics of body structures and how they work together to support life. Much of physiology centers on homeostasis, which is the maintenance of steady internal conditions in living things.

Physiology also uses observation, including the naked eye and microscopes. It includes manipulations and measurements as well. Modern physiology often depends on carefully designed laboratory experiments that reveal how body structures and chemical compounds work.

How Anatomy and Physiology Work Together

Human anatomy studies the structures of the body. Some body structures are so small that they can only be seen and examined with a microscope. Others are large enough to be viewed, handled, measured, and weighed. The word anatomy comes from a Greek root meaning “to cut apart.” Early study of the human body began with observing the outside of the body and the injuries seen in soldiers and other patients. Later, physicians were allowed to dissect dead bodies to learn more. Dissection means...

structural organization of the human body: an overview

structural-organization-of-the-human-body-an-overview

Levels of Organization in the Human Body

The human body is organized in levels that build from simple parts to a complete living being. These levels increase in complexity from subatomic particles, atoms, and molecules to organelles, cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, and the organism. At the chemical level, scientists study the smallest building blocks of matter. Matter is made of elements, which are pure substances such as hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, calcium, and iron. The smallest unit of an element is an atom, and...

functions of life

How the Human Body Keeps Going

Human life depends on metabolism, movement, development, growth, and reproduction. These functions help the body stay alive, maintain itself, and continue the species. Together, they show how the body uses energy and changes over time. Metabolism is the body’s use of energy and food molecules. It helps the body make fuel for movement, support body functions, and build and maintain body structures. Metabolism includes two kinds of reactions: anabolism and catabolism. Anabolism is the process...

requirements for human life

Human Survival Needs in the Body

Human survival depends on air, water, food, a narrow temperature range, and a narrow range of atmospheric pressure. The Earth and its atmosphere provide these conditions, but the body can only function well when they stay within limits. Oxygen is one of the most important needs. Atmospheric air is only about 20 percent oxygen, but that oxygen supports the chemical reactions that keep the body alive, including the reactions that make ATP. Brain cells are especially sensitive to a lack of oxygen...

what is homeostasis?

Homeostasis and Negative Feedback

Homeostasis keeps the body’s internal conditions stable. The body does this by holding each physiological condition near a set point. A set point is the value around which the normal range changes, and the normal range is the small group of values that is healthiest and most stable. Human body temperature is a common example. Its set point is about 37°C, or 98.6°F, and it can shift a little above or below that point while still staying in range. Negative feedback helps maintain homeostasis.

negative and positive feedback

Feedback Loops in Body Balance

Negative and positive feedback help keep body conditions stable. These feedback loops control many body processes and support homeostasis, which is the maintenance of a steady internal environment. Negative feedback reduces a change and brings a system back toward its normal state. Positive feedback increases a change and pushes a process further in the same direction. Together, they show how the body can fine-tune responses when conditions shift. These control systems are important in many...

homeostatic imbalance

How Feedback Failure Disrupts Homeostasis

Homeostasis keeps the body’s internal conditions stable so cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems can work properly. The body uses control systems to regulate temperature, blood pressure, pH balance, and fluid balance. These controls depend on feedback loops, which can be positive or negative. Homeostatic imbalance happens when those feedback loops fail and the body can no longer maintain a stable internal environment. Injury, disease, environmental changes, genetic mutations, and aging can...

anatomical terminology

Anatomical Terms and Body Position

Anatomical terms help describe the human body clearly in biology and medicine. Health care professionals and anatomists use this standard language to avoid confusion and to make descriptions more precise. Most anatomical words come from Greek and Latin roots, and these roots usually stay the same because the languages are rarely used in everyday conversation. Many anatomical words are built from a root plus a prefix or suffix. The root often names an organ, tissue, or condition. The prefix or...

anatomical positions

Body Positions Used in Anatomy

Body positions used in anatomy give a shared way to describe where body parts are and how they face. These standard references help people talk about anatomical structures with the same meaning. The anatomical position is the main reference point for body orientation. In anatomical position, the body stands upright and faces forward. The feet are parallel and flat on the floor. The arms rest at the sides with the palms facing forward, and the head and eyes point forward. The most common...

regional terms

Anatomy Regions and Body Landmark Terms

Anatomy regions and body landmark terms help identify specific parts of the human body. These regional terms divide the body into areas with structures that support similar functions. They also make it easier to describe the exact area affected by an injury or disease. The human body is organized into two major regions: the axial region and the appendicular region. The axial region includes the body from the head to the abdomen and forms the central body axis. The appendicular region includes...

directional terms

Anatomical Direction and Body Position

Anatomical direction and body position terms help describe where one body structure is located in relation to another. These terms use comparisons, such as one tissue being inferior to another or a tumor being superficial to a deeper structure. They are based on the standard anatomical reference position, which uses the body in an upright pose. Anterior and posterior are a common pair of directional terms. Anterior, also called ventral, means toward the front of the body. Posterior, also...

body planes

Anatomy Sections and Body Planes

Anatomy sections and body planes are imaginary flat surfaces used to divide the body for study. They help show the orientation, relationships, and spatial layout of anatomical structures. These reference planes are also useful for describing organs and body parts in a standard way. The sagittal plane divides the body or an organ vertically into right and left sides. When that cut goes through the middle and makes equal halves, it is called the midsagittal or median plane. When it makes unequal...

anatomical movements

Body Joint Motion Terms

Body joint motion terms describe how bones and muscles move at different joints. These standard names make it easier to talk about range of motion in the body. They are used to describe actions at the shoulder, hip, elbow, knee, wrist, fingers, toes, and spine. Flexion and extension are movements in the sagittal plane, also called the anterior-posterior plane. Flexion is the forward bending motion of the head or vertebral column. Extension is the backward movement or straightening of a joint,...

abdominal regions and quadrants

Abdominal Pain and Organ Location

The abdominal cavity is divided into quadrants and regions to help locate organs and describe pain clearly. Clinicians and anatomists use imaginary lines to mark the abdominopelvic cavity. This system makes it easier to communicate about a patient’s symptoms or a suspicious mass. The simpler method divides the area into four quadrants. One horizontal line and one vertical line cross at the umbilicus, or navel. These quadrants are the right upper quadrant, right lower quadrant, left upper...

key terms and concepts

Learn how anatomy studies body structure, how physiology explains body function, and how dissection, imaging, and experiments reveal homeostasis.

How Anatomy and Physiology Work Together | JoVE K12

anatomy and physiology

JoVE Core Anatomy and Physiology showcases the anatomical and physiological details of the human body in comprehensive, clear, and engaging video animations. This collection of lessons focuses on the structures, components, functions, and requirements of the human body. It is complemented by scientist-in-action videos that demonstrate the application of this knowledge in real-world medical and research settings.

new-jersey-student-learning-standards-for-science

New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science

High School

Life Science

from-molecules-to-organisms-structures-and-processes

From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

HS-LS1-2

Arizona Science Standards

HS.L1

HS.L1U1.20

HS+B.L1

HS+B.L1U1.7

new-york-state-science-learning-standards

New York State Science Learning Standards

Structure and Function

HS-LS1-2.

Structural Organization of the Human Body: An Overview

It is convenient to consider the body&#39;s structures in terms of fundamental levels of organization that increase in complexity: subatomic particles, ...

Functions of Life

Human life is characterized by a variety of functions that are essential for survival and well-being. These functions include metabolism, movement, ...

Characteristics of Life

Biology is a natural science that studies life and living organisms, including their structure, function, development, interactions, evolution, ...

https://cloudfront.jove.com/files/media/science-education/science-education-thumbs/10647.jpg

Levels of Organization

Biological organization is the classification of biological structures, ranging from atoms at the bottom of the hierarchy to the Earth&#x27;s biosphere. ...

Hierarchy of Organization

Content elaboration: Building on knowledge about cell structures and processes from middle school and Biology, this topic focuses on the increasing complexity of cells as they are organized into tissues. Several tissue types make up an organ. Several organs working together make up an organ system. All the organ systems interact and form the human body.

Tissues

Tissues are a group of cells that share a common embryonic origin. Microscopic observation reveals that the cells in a tissue share morphological features ...

The Scientific Method

The scientific method is a detailed, empirical problem-solving process used by biologists and other scientists. This iterative approach involves ...

Inductive Reasoning

Inductive reasoning is a form of logical thinking that uses related observations to arrive at a general conclusion. It is uncertain and operates in ...

Deductive Reasoning

Deductive reasoning, or deduction, is the type of logic used in hypothesis-based science. In deductive reasoning, the pattern of thinking moves in the ...

Correlation and Causation

Correlation and CausationStatistical tests can calculate whether there is a relationship, or correlation, between independent and dependent variables. A ...

Taxonomy

Taxonomy is the science of defining and naming groups of biological organisms based on shared characteristics. It uses a hierarchy of increasingly ...

Phylogeny

Phylogeny is concerned with the evolutionary diversification of organisms or groups of organisms. A group of organisms with a name is called a taxon ...

Types of Tissues

Content elaboration: The human body is comprised of four types of tissues: epithelial, connective, muscle and nervous. This topic includes a broad overview of the structure, function and location of each tissue type. Tissues can be studied as an independent unit or as they are encountered within each organ system. Investigations are used to understand and explain types of tissues in a variety of inquiry and design scenarios that can incorporate evolutionary concepts, scientific reasoning, comparative analysis, communication skills and real-world applications.

Types of Tissues

What is Homeostasis?

Maintaining homeostasis requires that the body continuously maintain its internal conditions. Each physiological condition has a particular set point, ...

Negative and Positive Feedback

Homeostatic Imbalance

Homeostasis is the maintenance of a stable internal environment within the body, which is crucial for the proper functioning of cells, tissues, organs, ...

pH Homeostasis

Acid-base homeostasis is essential for maintaining normal physiological activities in humans. The pH of various body fluids is strictly regulated because ...

Feedback Loops

In most cases, excessive hormone production is prevented by negative feedback&#8212;a loop that starts with a stimulus inducing the release of a ...

Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis

The response to stress&mdash;be it physical or psychological, acute or chronic&mdash;involves activation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis. ...

Homeostasis

Content elaboration: Homeostasis is a theme that is explored throughout the course. Homeostasis involves positive and negative feedback mechanisms that continuously monitor and adjust the body's internal conditions (e.g., temperature regulation, pH, hormone regulation, blood pressure, hemostasis). At times, there can be a disruption (or disruptions) in the feedback loops, creating an imbalance. This homeostatic imbalance can result in a variety of conditions.

Homeostasis

Anatomical Terminology

Knowledge of anatomy is essential to understand human biology and medicine. Anatomists and health care professionals use standard terminology to describe ...

Anatomical Positions

In anatomy, several standard anatomical positions are used as references for describing the position and orientation of different body parts. These ...

Regional Terms

Regional terms describe anatomy by dividing the body parts into different regions that contain structures involved in contributing similar functions. ...

Directional Terms

Directional terms are essential for describing the relative locations of different body structures. For instance, an anatomist might describe one band of ...

Body Planes

Body planes in anatomy are imaginary flat surfaces used as reference points to divide the body into sections for anatomical study. These planes are ...

Anatomical Movements

Anatomical movements refer to the various actions or motions that can be performed by the body&#39;s joints and muscles. These movements are described ...

Abdominal Regions and Quadrants

To promote clear communication, for instance, about the location of a patient&#39;s abdominal pain or a suspicious mass, anatomists and clinicians ...

Anatomical Terminology

Content elaboration: Standard anatomical position is to be used as a reference point. Each area of the human body is identified by region. The features and structures of the body, relative to each other, are described by directional terms. The body and its organs can be divided by planes. The organs are located in cavities.

How Anatomy and Physiology Work Together

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