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Introduction to the
Body as a Whole

Dr. Shumaila Naz (Ph.D.)

Assistant Professor (NUMS-DBS)

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 Learning Outcomes

 Define and understand relationship b/w Anatomy& Physiology

(A&P)
 Define level of organization of the body
 Define anatomical position
 Describe the various body planes
 Define the body cavities
 Discuss body cavities and list the organs lying within each cavity

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 Anatomy
 Anatomy - the study of form/structure
Means “a cutting open,” is the study of the internal and
external structures of the body and the physical
relationships among body parts.

Can be divided into Gross and Microscopic Anatomy

 Gross and Microscopic Anatomy
(a) Gross anatomy considers large structures such as
the brain.
(b) Microscopic anatomy can deal with the same
structures, though at a different scale. This is a
micrograph of nerve cells from the brain
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 Anatomy
Gross Anatomy Microscopic Anatomy
 Involves the examination of  Deals with structures that cannot be
relatively large structures and seen without magnification, and thus
the equipment used establishes the
features usually visible with the
boundaries of what can be seen.
unaided eye.
the study of the  dissecting microscope - tissue structure
 Surface anatomy external features
of the body   light microscope – basic details of cell
structure
 study
Regional of the interrelationships of
anatomy  electron microscope - individual
all of the structures in a specific
molecules that are only a few
body region
nanometers across
 Cytology
a group of structures that
 Systemic anatomy
work together to perform a  Histology
unique body function 5
 Physiology

Physiology – the study of function

 The study of function and how living

organisms perform their vital functions.
 Functions are complex and much more
difficult to examine than most anatomical
structures.

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 a. Cell physiology=study of the individual cells themselves
as they live out all the activities that characterize the larger
organism.

b. Immunology=study of how the cells of the body fight off

and defend against disease.

Physiology c. Renal physiology=study of the function of the kidney in

the production of urine.

d. Cardiovascular physiology=examines the operation of the

heart and blood vessels.

e. There are many other divisions of physiology such as:

pathophysiology, exercise physiology, neurophysiology etc.

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Relationship between
anatomy and Physiology
Complementarity of Form and Function
 1. Physiology and anatomy are closely interrelated both
theoretically and practically, for anatomical details are
significant only because each has an effect on function,
and physiological mechanisms can be fully understood only
in terms of the underlying structural relationships.
 2. living systems are subject to the same laws of physics
and chemistry as are buildings, oceans, and mountain
ranges.
 3. Many advances in our understanding of the human
body only came after advances in one of the physical or
applied sciences.

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Levels of organization

 The apparent complexity represents

multiple levels of organization. Each
level is more complex than the
underlying one, but all can be broken
down into similar chemical and cellular
components.

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 Anatomical Position

 standard anatomical position is defined as standing up straight

with the body at rest.
 Directional terms
a. Superior (cranial) =above; toward the head end or upper
part of the structure or body.
b. Inferior (caudal) =below; away from the head end or
toward the lower part of the structure or body.
c. Anterior (ventral) =toward or at the front of the body.
d. Posterior (dorsal) =toward or at the back of the body.
e. Medial=toward or at the longitudinal axis of the body.
f. Lateral=away from the longitudinal axis of the body.
g. Intermediate=between a more medial and a more lateral
structure.
h. Proximal=closer to the origin of the body part or the
point of attachment of a limb to the body trunk.
i. Distal=farther from the origin of a body part or the point
of attachment.
j. Superficial (external) =toward or at the body surface.
k. Deep (internal) away from the body surface; more 16
internal.
 Anatomical Position

Regional Terms in Anatomy

Regional terms describe anatomy by dividing the parts
of the body into different regions that contain
structures that are involved in similar functions. Two
primary terms are used to describe the main regions
of the body:
 The Axial Region makes up the main axis of the
human body and includes the head, neck, chest,
and trunk.
 The Appendicular Region makes up the parts of
the human body that connect to the axial region.
This includes the limbs and appendages

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 Sectional planes
Planes of the Body
The three planes most commonly used in anatomical and medical
imaging are the sagittal, frontal (or coronal), and transverse plane.
a. Sagittal=a vertical plane that divides the body into right and
left parts.
i. Midsagittal (median) =the plane dividing the body exactly
in the midline.
ii. Parasagittal=all other sagittal planes offset from the
midline
b. Frontal (coronal) =any plane dividing the body into anterior
and posterior portions.
c. Transverse (horizontal) =a plane dividing the body into
superior and inferior portions.
d. Oblique=cuts made diagonally between the horizontal and
vertical planes

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 Body cavities

Two essential functions:

1. protect organs from shocks and impacts
2. permit changes in size and shape of
organs

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 Body cavities

1. Dorsal body cavity=composed of two smaller

cavities:
a. Cranial cavity=contains the brain
b. Vertebral cavity=contains the spinal cord

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 Body cavities
2. Ventral body cavity=also known as the coelom;
houses internal organs of the body collectively called the
viscera or “guts”. Divided into two smaller cavities:
a. Thoracic cavity
i. Pleural cavity=right and left; contains the lungs
ii. Mediastinum=space between the pleural cavities;
containing the thymus, lymph vessels, esophagus,
trachea, and nerves. Embedded within the mediastinum
is the pericardial cavity, which houses the heart.
b. Abdominopelvic cavity
i. Abdominal cavity=contains digestive organs
ii. Pelvic cavity=contains bladder, reproductive organs,
and rectum

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 Body cavities
3. The dorsal and ventral body cavities are lined with
serous membranes which secrete a watery, lubricating fluid.
a. Meninges line the dorsal body cavity.
b. Pleura line the pleural cavity.
c. Pericardium lines the pericardial cavity.
d. Peritoneum lines the abdominal cavity; some organs are
retroperitoneal such as the urinary and reproductive organs.
4. Other less significant cavities of the body
a. Nasal cavity=for the passage of air into the respiratory
tract
b. Orbital cavity=area of the skull that houses the eye
c. Middle ear cavity=contains the ossicles
d. Synovial cavity=are joint cavities filled with synovial
fluid
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 Abdominal pelvic region & quadrant

Major Organs in the Four Quadrants

• Right Upper Quadrant: Liver, stomach, gallbladder,
duodenum, right kidney, pancreas, and the right adrenal
gland.
• Left Upper Quadrant: Liver, stomach, pancreas, left
kidney, spleen, and the left adrenal gland.
• Right Lower Quadrant: appendix, reproductive organs,
right ureter.
• Left Lower Quadrant: left ureter, reproductive organs
• NOTE: All four quadrants contain portions of the small
and large intestines.

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 Abdominal pelvic region & quadrant

two important things to remember with these four

quadrants:

• The navel (belly button) is the landmark used to

visualize these quadrants while doing assessments.
This is the point at which the two planes cross.

• The terms “left/right” and “upper/lower” are always

from the perspective of the anatomical position, not
perspective.

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 Abdominal pelvic region & quadrant
 The Nine Abdominal Regions
 The nine abdominal regions divide the abdomen
into even smaller sections by using two
parasagittal planes that run down the middle of
the clavicle bones (also called midclavicular
planes) and two horizontal (transverse) planes.
 The superior transverse plane is called the
subcostal plane, and it is located just below the
ribs. The intertubercular plane is the inferior 
transverse plane, and it intersects the tubercles
of the pelvis, running just inferior to the navel.

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 Abdominal pelvic region & quadrant
 the right and left columns: because they have the same exact
name (distinguished by a left or right prefix), and they are
named after the bones to which they are nearest
• Hypochondriac Regions (Left and Right): the prefix “hypo”
means below or under. The word “chondriac” means cartilage,
which is referring to the cartilage of the ribs “this is the
abdominal region that is under the ribs”
• Lumbar Regions (Left and Right): The word lumbar refers to
the vertebrae in lower back, which are the bones nearest to
the lumbar region.
• Iliac Region (Left and Right): The top of the hip bone has what
is called the iliac crest, and that’s the bone closest to the iliac
region.

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 Abdominal pelvic region & quadrant
 Middle Column: these regions are named after
their location relative to the stomach, not the
bones.
• Epigastric Region: The prefix “epi” means above,
or over, and “gastric” means stomach or belly.
Therefore, this is the region over and above the
belly.
• Umbilical Region: umbilical region contains navel,
which is also called the umbilicus. The navel is
the landmark for the four quadrant point of
intersection, and it can also help remember that
the umbilical region makes up the middle of the
nine abdominal regions.
• Hypogastric Region: hypo means “below,” and
gastric refers to the stomach or belly.
hypogastric region is the region below the belly
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 Abdominal pelvic region & quadrant
 Organs in the Nine Abdominal Regions
1. Right Hypochondriac Region: organs such as the liver, gallbladder, right
kidney, and portions of the small and large intestine in this region.
2. Epigastric Region: This region contains portions of the liver, as well as
the stomach, pancreas, duodenum, spleen, and adrenal glands.
3. Left Hypochondriac Region: This contains the spleen, large/small
intestines, left kidney, pancreas, stomach, and tip of the liver.
4. Right Lumbar Region: portions of the ascending colon, small intestine,
and right kidney in this region.
5. Umbilical Region: the duodenum, the small intestine, as well as the
transverse colon.
6. Left Lumbar Region: parts of the descending colon, small intestine, and
left kidney in this region.
7. Right Iliac Region: the appendix, cecum, ascending colon, and small
intestine.
8. Hypogastric Region: the bladder, portions of the sigmoid colon, small
intestine, and reproductive organs in this region.
9. Left Iliac Region: parts of the sigmoid colon, descending colon and
small intestine in this region.

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