Module 01 — Basics of Anatomy and Physiology · quiz worth 80 pts · 2026-09-01
The course's exam page names four regular-credit lessons. 01.01 covers anatomy, physiology, word parts, body systems, and specialties. 01.02 covers anatomical position, relative direction, planes, and cavities. 01.03 covers characteristics of life, organization, tissues, histology, homeostasis, and metabolism. 01.04 covers skin layers, specialized cells, injuries, healing, and disorders. Review those guided notes before using this pack.
Anatomy studies body structures. Physiology studies what those structures do and how they work. A prefix comes before the root and modifies its meaning. The root carries the central body part or subject. A suffix often names a specialty, procedure, function, or condition. Example: epi- means above and dermis means skin, so the epidermis is the outer skin layer. Keep body systems tied to both parts and jobs: the cardiovascular system is the heart and blood vessels moving blood; the nervous system is the brain, spinal cord, and nerves communicating across the body.
Anatomy specialties sort structures by scale or scope. Gross anatomy studies structures visible to the naked eye; microscopic anatomy studies tissues, cells, and molecules; regional anatomy studies all structures in one body region; and systemic anatomy follows one body system and its supporting structures. Physiology specialties focus on function. Cell physiology studies processes within cells, special physiology studies the functions and chemical processes of one organ, systemic physiology studies how the organs in a system work together, and pathological physiology studies how disease affects organs and systems.
Anatomical position is always the reference: facing forward, arms at the sides, palms forward, thumbs pointing outward. Use the patient's viewpoint. Anterior or ventral means toward the front; posterior or dorsal means toward the back. Superior is toward the top, inferior toward the bottom. Medial is toward the midline, lateral toward the side. Superficial is near the surface, deep is farther inside. Proximal is closer to a limb's origin; distal is farther away. Supine means face up, prone face down, and lateral means lying on the side.
A sagittal plane divides right and left. A transverse plane divides superior and inferior. A frontal or coronal plane divides anterior and posterior. The dorsal cavity contains the cranial cavity (brain) and spinal cavity (spinal cord). The ventral cavity contains the thoracic cavity plus the abdominopelvic cavity. The thoracic cavity includes the pleural cavities around the lungs and the pericardial cavity around the heart.
Name what is highlighted before checking the choices. The drawings are simplified study diagrams, not diagnostic images.
Order the levels from smallest to largest: atom → molecule → macromolecule → organelle → cell → tissue → organ → organ system. The four tissue groups are epithelial (covers, lines, protects, secretes, absorbs), muscle (contracts for movement), nervous (conducts impulses), and connective (binds, supports, protects, stores, and can be liquid or solid). Histology uses microscopic structure to distinguish tissues. Homeostasis maintains a stable internal environment. Metabolism includes the reactions that obtain, release, and use energy.
The epidermis is the water-resistant outer barrier. Keratinocytes protect against foreign substances and water loss; melanocytes make melanin, Langerhans cells defend against pathogens, basal cells make new skin cells, and Merkel cells sense touch. The dermis is the thick middle layer with blood vessels, nerves, hair follicles, and sweat and sebaceous glands. It regulates temperature through sweating and changes in blood flow. The hypodermis is mostly loose connective tissue and fat; it insulates, stores energy, cushions organs, and connects skin to tissues below.
A first-degree burn affects the epidermis. A second-degree burn reaches the epidermis and dermis and often blisters. A third-degree burn destroys the epidermis and dermis, often damages nerve endings, and may reach the hypodermis. Deep damage interferes with the skin's barrier and temperature-control jobs, so dehydration and infection are major concerns. A shallow cut heals as epithelial cells divide. A deeper cut breaks dermal blood vessels; clotting forms a scab while new cells replace damaged tissue.
Do the questions without notes first. Then use each explanation to repair the idea you missed.
