Anatomy Essentials For Dummies

Maggie Norris is a freelance science writer. Donna Rae Siegfried has instructed anatomy and physiology courses at the college level. They are the coauthors of Anatomy & Physiology For Dummies, 2nd Edition.

• Introduction 1About This Book 1Conventions Used in This Book 2Foolish Assumptions 2Icons Used in This Book 2Where to Go from Here 3Chapter 1: Focusing on the Framework of Anatomy and Physiology 5Looking at the Science of Anatomy and Physiology 6Fitting anatomy and physiology into science 6Breaking down the subsets of anatomy 6Familiarizing Yourself with Anatomical Jargon 7Arranging Organisms by Levels of Organization 10Level I: The cellular level 10Level II: The tissue level 10Level III: The organ level 12Level IV: The organ system level 12Level V: The organism level 12Metabolism: Keeping Body Processes in Motion 12Seeing why your cells metabolize 13Understanding the process behind cellular metabolism 14Balancing Bodily Reactions with Homeostasis 18Regulating body temperature 18Maintaining a fluid balance 19Examining blood glucose concentration 20Gauging variables that keep the body balanced 21Chapter 2: Examining Cell Biology Basics 23How Cells Spend Their Time 23Creating new cells 24Manufacturing tissues 24Constructing and moving products 24Transmitting signals around the body 25Exploring Eukaryotic Cells 25Enclosing it all with the cell membrane 27Relinquishing control to the nucleus 29Giving the organelles a place to hang in the cytoplasm 29Seeing how mitochondria provide energy to cells 29Producing protein in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) 30Taking out the trash with lysosomes 30Macromolecules, the Building Blocks of Life 31Naming the nucleic acids and nucleotides 31Energizing organisms with polysaccharides 32Peeking at proteins 32Discovering How Genetic Material Makes You Who You are 33Cycling through Life, Cell-Style 34Progressing through interphase 34Pushing ahead to DNA replication 34Entering mitosis 35Forming Tissues from Cells 37Linking structures with connective tissue 37Reviewing types of epithelial tissue 38Chapter 3: Scoping Out the Body’s Structural Layers 41The Skinny on Your Skeleton 42Examining the skeleton’s makeup 42Surveying joints and their movements 45The 411 on the Muscular System 48Seeing what your skeletal muscles do 48Taking a look at tissue types 51Making muscles contract: The sliding filament model 56An Introduction to the Integument 58Studying up on the structure of the integument 59Accessorizing your skin 62Chapter 4: Getting to the Heart of the Circulatory System 65Analyzing the Cardiac Anatomy 65Examining the shape of the heart 66Looking at the heart’s tissues 68Observing how blood flows to (and from) the heart 69Meet Your Blood Vessels 70Beginning at the arteries 71Moving on to the capillaries 72Traveling through the veins 74Discovering What’s in Your Blood 76Plasma: Your protein carrier 76Red blood cells: In charge of moving O2 and CO2 77Platelets: The clotting cells 78White blood cells: The body’s defenders 78Focusing on the Physiology of Circulation 78The cardiac cycle: Conducting electricity 79On the beating path: Blood flow through the heart and body 81Measuring the importance of blood pressure 83Hemostasis: Stopping the flow 84Chapter 5: Taking a Deep Breath with the Respiratory System 85Surveying the Duties of the Respiratory System 85Nosing around Your Respiratory Anatomy 86An entrance to the system: The nose 87Passing through the pharynx 87Winding through the windpipe, or trachea 88The lungs: The pair that just don’t quit 89Exchanging gases at the respiratory membrane 90The comptroller of ventilation: The diaphragm 91Discovering the Ins and Outs of Breathing 92Breathing under normal conditions 92Seeing how stress affects breathing 94Controlling your breathing 94Chapter 6: Getting on Track with the Digestive System 97Your Digestive System in a Nutshell 98Moving through the Structures of the Digestive Tract 99Allowing entry: The mouth 99Sending food to the stomach: The pharynx and esophagus 100Lining it up: The walls 101Breaking it all down: The stomach 102Importing and exporting: The intestines 103Doing the Chemical Breakdown 105The liver 106The pancreas 108Digestive fluids, enzymes, and hormones 109Chapter 7: Passing through the Urinary System 111Running Down the Urinary System’s Responsibilities 111Surveying the Structures of the Urinary System 113Creating urine: The kidneys 113Holding and releasing: The urinary tract 115The Yellow River 117Looking at the composition of urine 117Filtering the blood 118Reabsorbing selectively 119Expelling urine 120Maintaining Homeostasis 120Connecting fluid balance and blood pressure 121Regulating blood pH 122Chapter 8: Making Babies: The Reproductive System 125Surveying the Functions of the Reproductive System 125Making Gametes 126Crossing over with meiosis 127Producing female gametes: Ova 127Developing male gametes: Sperm 129Merging ova and sperm to determine sex 129The Egg-citing Female Reproductive System 130A woman’s reproductive organs 130A woman’s (approximately) monthly cycle 133Furthering Fertilization: The Male Reproductive System 136A man’s reproductive organs 137Seminal fluid and ejaculation 138Pausing for Pregnancy 139Achieving fertilization 139Succeeding with implantation 140Adapting to pregnancy 140Going through labor and delivery 142Chapter 9: Exploring the Nervous, Endocrine, and Immune Systems 143Controlling it All: The Nervous System 144Surveying the neural tissues 144Traveling the integrated networks 147Sending Messages Chemical-Style with the Endocrine System 149Homing in on hormones 150Grouping the glands 152Defending Your “Self” with the Immune System 155Loving Your Lymphatic System 156Identifying immune system cells 158Chapter 10: Ten Phabulous Physiology Phacts 161Only Humans Have Opposable Thumbs 161Human Milk is the Best Milk 162You’re (Surprisingly) as Hairy as a Gorilla 162You Can Process Fear and Emotion 163You Smell Like You See 163Your Mouth is More Efficient Than a Chimp’s 164Millions of Microbes Owe You Their Lives 164Oxygen Can be Dangerous 164You Can Control Your Breathing but Fido Can’t 165Hemoglobin Dominates Your Red Blood Cells 166Index 167