Basics of BIO-203/L203

Welcome to A&P!

The study of anatomy and physiology is a staple in studying STEM, particularly in the areas of biology and biochemistry. Applications of anatomy and physiology find often themselves in medical professions, which is why many of you are probably studying this course. A&P focuses on a wide range of topics that synthesize concepts from cellular/molecular biology, general chemistry, general physics, organic chemistry, and even some biochemistry. However, if you have not taken these classes before, do not fret: A&P does not require in depth prior knowledge of most of these topics, and rather gives overarching applications of things you might hear about in some of these classes.

Foremost, we must deconstruct what anatomy and physiology actually is. Anatomy mostly refers to the labwork that you will be doing; this is the study of the structure of an organism. Physiology, on the other hand, is a theoretical science which delves in to the deeper functioning of the anatomical systems studied in the lab, which will mostly be discussed in the lecture. Together, BIO-302/L302 will give you a deeper understanding of the key structures in your body, as well as what part actually performs or influences which particular function.

Planes of Orientation

Anatomists use more defining words to describe the position of an anatomical structure. The words “left” or “right” are not commonly used in the study of anatomy unless there is a pair of structures. When describing a single structure, it is important to use anatomical terms: imagine how problematic it would be if a surgeon made a cut “slightly to the left and partially above” a vital structure in the human body.

Your textbook has a table of these anatomical positions, but here are some of the most significant terms that will come up in L203:

• Superior: this term refers to a structure towards the top of the body; in humans, the most superior point is the top of the head

• Inferior: this term refers to a structure towards the bottom of the body; it is the sole of a human’s foot

• Anterior: this term is towards the front of the body, such as your nose is an anterior aspect

• Posterior: this term is towards the back of the body, such as your deltoid is a posterior aspect

We can also theoretically divide humans into two left/right symmetrical segments with a midline down the center of your body. When you imagine this midline, if a structure is near the midline, it can be considered medial; if it is relatively far from the midline, we can consider this structure lateral. Between lateral and medial is the position of intermediate.

Although in this example, these terms are used for the human body in general, it is also possible to describe individual organs with these terms, however most appendages have specialized terms to describe particular positions.

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Histology Basics

Histology is the study of tissues, which is a common part of L203. Studying histology requires using micrography, which some students consider to be the hardest part of studying anatomy. It is important to make a sketch or take a photograph of the tissues studied in the lab for future reference and schematic understanding of the microscopic anatomy.

Common histological orientations:

• Cross section (c.s.): cutting in half, against the long axis of the body
• Longitudinal section (sec.): along the long axis of the body

Resources

Here are some helpful reference documents from online.

• Labeled cat dissection PDF

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