study notes 12/27/-31/2010

woman reading in a study by Mary Ferris Kelly

I got to study 6 hours this week. Things are looking up.


Memmler's The Human body in Health and Disease Anatomy is the study of body structure. Physiology is the study of body functions. Pathology is the study of disease.

Cell-living matter is derived from simple chemicals which are formed into complex substances that make living cells. Tissue-specialized groups of cells Organ-tissues that function together System-organs that work together for the same general purpose.

Integumentary or skin-protection-as Dr. C would say it is a hermetical seal against unwanted invaders.

Skeletal-support and protection

Muscular-movement

Nervous-coordination and control

Cardiovascular-circulation of nutrients, chemicals, and oxygen

Lymphatic-circulation, brings fluids back into the blood, helps with absorption of fats

Respiratory-nutrition-takes in oxygen and eliminates carbon dioxide

Digestive-nutrition and fluid balance-intake nutrients to feed cells of the body

ATP, Adenosine triphosphate, is bodily energy currency.

Homeostasis occurs when the body maintains a state of internal balance: temperature, body fluid composition, heart rate, respiration rate, blood pressure, and elimination. Homeostasis maintained through feedback, a control system based on information returning to a source.

The three main body planes are frontal or coronal, which divides the body posterior and anterior, sagittal which divides the body in half right and left, and transverse or horizontal, which divides the body top and bottom at the navel.  

The term metabolism refers to all life-sustaining reactions that occur within the body. The reactions involved in anabolism assemble simple components into more complex ones. The reactions of catabolism break down substances into simpler components, generating energy in the form of ATP. THis energy can be used to fuel cell activites. The maintenance of a constant internal body state, now as homeostasis critical for health. Different body parameters, such as body temperature and blood glucose concentration, are kept constant using negative feedback. conversely, positive feedback does not keep a body parameter constant. Instead, it reinforces the stimulus. This form of feedback facilitates dramatic events, such as childbirth. Tissues function together as organs. Glands that produce hormones belong to the endocrine system. The eyes are located superior to the nose. Fluids contained with cells are described as intracellular. The cavity that contains the mediastinum is the ventral. The foot is located inferior to the knee. The levels of organization in the body from simplest to cmost complex are molecule, cell, tissue, organ, organ system, and organism.

The nervous system and endocrine system are used to coordinate and control stimuli in the body. The nervous system made up of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves make up a complex network wherein the body controls and coordinates sense organs and receives outside stimuli. These electrical impulses are sent to the brain for processing and direction. Memory and reasoning are also part of this system. The endocrine system encompases several glands that share a similar function, producing and regulating hormones to control groth , metabolism, and reproduction.

An internal state of balance is maintained in the body by homeostatis. Homeostatis uses a method called negative feedback similar to a home thermostat. when the temperature falls, the thermostat triggers the furnace to turn on and increase the temperature; when the house temperature reaches an upper limit, the furnace is shut off. In the body, a center in the brain detects changes in temp and starts mechanisms for cooling or warming if the temperature is above or below the average set point of 98.6. When glucose increases in the blood, the pancreas secretes insulin, which causes body cells to use more glucose. Increased uptake of glucose and the subsequent drop in blood sugar level serve as a signal to the pancreas to reduce insulin secretion. The secretion of insulin is reversed because of the insulin's reaction. The self-regulating feedback loop is used in the endocrine system to maintain proper levels of hormones.

The ventral or anterior cavity contains the thoracic cavity diaphragm, abdominal cavity and pelvic cavity. The Dorsal or posterior cavity contains the cranial and spinal cavities.

A disease at the chemical level can affect organ system functions. For instance, if the body cannot assimilate iron, it cannot make adequate blood. This in turn starves the cells of nutrients and oxygen. This may cause difficulties for the heart, brain, or any other major organ system.

I love Dr; Fuhrman's member center lectures. This particular one happens to coordinate with my anatomy/physiology class. Reviewing the Basics of Metabolism, Hunger and Catabolism: Understanding the critical relationship between hunger and food addiction. DF explains that anabolism means to build things up or sort of fill up the gas tank. Meaning, we eat a meal and fill up our metabolic tank. Catabolism breaks things down. Like a car it uses the stored energy from the fill-up to make the body go. Also like a car catabolism produces toxic by-products that need to be eliminated from the body. If we try to eat again before catabolism is complete again and again, we produce toxic symptoms in the body that many believe are signals of hunger: stomach discomfort, head ache, irritability, dizziness, fatigue, and nausea (sounds like what many of us believe is hypoglycemia and is not). True hunger is signaled by a subtle discomfort in the top of the body centered around the throat. It is a good thing to allow our bodies to work through toxic hunger into true hunger. Drinking additional water and fasting helps with this process and allows the liver to clear itself of stored glycogen and other toxins. Additionally, the cells are allowed to release excess toxic materials. Once the body detoxifies, it is entirely possible and desirable to live on less food less often. Also building muscle mass helps to alleviate toxic hunger symptoms as does reducing body fat.