Levels & Systems
The smallest living unit in the human body
Cell
The directional term for "toward the point of attachment of a limb to the trunk".
Proximal
The specific cavity housing the lungs.
Pleural Cavity
The homeostatic mechanism component that senses an environmental stimulus.
Receptor
The abdominal quadrant affected by acute appendicitis in the lower right abdomen
Right Lower Quadrant (RLQ)
The organ system that stores calcium, forms blood cells, and provides support.
Skeletal System
A cut passing horizontally through the body, dividing it into superior and inferior portions.
Transverse (horizontal) section
The 9-region anatomical location of the belly button (navel).
Umbilical Region
A feedback mechanism that opposes or negates the initial stimulus to restore balance.
Negative feedback Loop
The specific 9-region area corresponding to acute appendicitis pain.
Right Inguinal (Iliac) region
The full sequence of structural organization from simplest to most complex.
chemical -> cellular -> tissue -> organ -> organ system -> organism
Human anatomical directional terms that correspond directly to "ventral" and "dorsal".
Anterior or posterior
The specific cavity surrounding the heart and the larger cavity containing it.
Pericardial cavity inside the thoracic cavity
Two physiological processes regulated by negative feedback loops
thermoregulation (body temperature) and blood glucose regulation
The feedback loop mechanism driving labor contractions during childbirth.
Positive feedback loop
The system managing immediate stimulus responses vs. the system managing long-term metabolic changes via chemical messengers.
nervous system (immediate) and endocrine system (long-term)
The plane separating the body into anterior (front) and posterior (back) portions.
Frontal (coronal) plane
The region located directly superior to the umbilical region.
The control component that receives stimulus input and signals the effector.
Control center
The tissue that acts as the effector during childbirth contractions.
Uterine smooth muscle
The system responsible for regulating blood pH, ion concentrations, and liquid waste excretion.
Urinary System
The positional relationship of skin to muscle, and the femur to surrounding thigh muscle.
Superficial (skin to muscle) and deep (femur to muscle)
The three distinct sub-cavities are contained within the abdominopelvic cavity.
The key functional difference between negative feedback and positive feedback.
opposing/negating the initial change (negative) versus amplifying/enhancing it (positive)
The root cause of disease according to homeostatic concepts.
prolonged homeostatic imbalance