Basics of All Anatomical Systems

Question 1

Superior/cranial

Answer 1

Toward the head end of the body

Question 2

Inferior/caudal

Answer 2

Away from the head end of the body

Question 3

Anterior/ventral

Answer 3

Toward the front end (kneecaps)

Question 4

Posterior/dorsal

Answer 4

Toward the back end (Ex: shoulder blades)

Question 5

Medial

Answer 5

Toward the midline (nose bridge is medial to your nose)

Question 6

Lateral

Answer 6

Away from the midline (ears are lateral to head)

Question 7

Proximal

Answer 7

Closer to its origin

Question 8

Distal

Answer 8

Further from its origin

Question 9

Coronal (frontal) plane

(Co-row-nole)

Answer 9

A vertical plane that divides the body into its anterior and posterior portions

Question 10

Sagittal (lateral) plane

Answer 10

A vertical plane dividing the body into its left and right portions

Question 11

Axial (transverse) plane

Answer 11

A horizontal plane dividing the body into its upper and lower sections

Question 12

Median plane

Answer 12

Sagittal plane through the midline of the body, dividing the body or any of its parts into its left and right halves

Question 13

Thoracic cavity

(Thor-ah-sick)

Answer 13

The upper ventral, thoracic, or chest cavity which contains the heart, lungs, trachea, esophagus, large blood vessels, and nerves. Bounded laterally by the ribs and caudally by the diaphragm.

Question 14

Abdominopelvic cavity

(Ab-dom-ih-no-pel-vick)

Answer 14

The lower ventral, or abdominopelvic, cavity can be further divided into two sections: the abdominal portion and the pelvic portion. The abdominal cavity contains a majority of the gastrointestinal tract as well as the kidneys and adrenal glands. The abdominal cavity is bound cranially by the diaphragm, laterally by the body wall, and caudally by the pelvic cavity. The pelvic cavity contains most of the urogenital system as well as the rectum. The pelvic cavity is bounded cranially by the abdominal cavity, dorsally by the sacrum, and laterally by the pelvis.

Question 15

Dorsal cavity

Answer 15

The smaller of the two cavities (ventral and dorsal) is called the dorsal cavity. As the name pertains, it contains organs lying posterior (dorsal) to the body. The dorsal cavity can be divided into two portions: the upper portion (cranial) which houses the brain and the lower portion (vertebrate canal) which houses the spinal cord.

Question 16

What are the three main parts of a cell?

Answer 16

Cell membrane, the nucleus, and the cytoplasm.

Question 17

What does the cell membrane do?

Answer 17

It separates the material outside the cell (extracellular) from the material inside the cell (intracellular). It also serves as the structural integrity of the cell and facilitates the passage of materials into and out of the cell.

Question 18

What is the cell membrane made of?

Answer 18

Phospholipid molecules and proteins.

Question 19

What does the nucleus do?

Answer 19

It is the control center of the cell. Threads of chromatin in the nucleus contain DNA, the genetic material of the cell. Also determines how the cell will function.

Question 20

What does DNA stand for?

Answer 20

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

Question 21

What does the nucleolus do?

Answer 21

A dense region of RNA in the nucleus and the site of ribosome formation.

Question 22

What does RNA stand for?

Answer 22

Ribonucleic acid.

Question 23

What is the purpose of the cytoplasm?

Answer 23

The medium wherein chemical reaction occurs. It provides a platform where other organelles can operate within a cell. All functions for cell expansion, growth, and replication are carried out in the cytoplasm of the cell.

Question 24

How do materials in the cytoplasm move?

Answer 24

Diffusion

Question 25

What are cytoplasmic organelles?

(Sigh-toe-plaz-mick or-guh-nels)

Answer 25

Little “organs” suspended in the cytoplasm of the cell. Each type of organelle has a definitive structure and a specific role in the function of that cell. (Ex: mitochondria, ribosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, and lysosomes.)

Question 26

What are the five stages of mitosis?

Answer 26

Interphase
Prophase
Metaphase
Anaphase
Telophase

Question 27

Explain meiosis

Answer 27

A special type of cell division occurring during the production of gametes (eggs, sperm). These cells only have 23 chromosomes, so when fertilization takes place, the resulting cell will have 46 chromosomes (23 pairs)

Question 28

What do proteins synthesize in to?

Answer 28

Proteins synthesized in the cytoplasm function as building materials, enzymes, hormones, and other vital substances