Structure and function
What a structure can do follows from its shape and parts, from molecules to whole organs.
What a structure does follows from how it is built, at every level. A capillary wall is a single thin layer of cells, so gases cross it in a fraction of a second. The left ventricle has a wall about three times thicker than the right because it pumps against much higher pressure. A heart valve's flaps are tethered by cords so they close under pressure instead of flipping inside out.
Use this in both directions. Given a structure, predict what it can do: a thick, muscular wall squeezes; a thin, leaky one exchanges. Given a job, predict the structure: a surface built for absorption will be folded to add area. It is the fastest way to remember anatomy, because each detail has a reason.
Where it shows up
Orientation to the body
- Levels of organization and organ systems
- Medical word parts
- Anatomical position and directional terms
- Body planes and sections
- Body cavities and serous membranes
- Body regions and abdominal quadrants
Chemistry and physics for physiology
Cells
- The cell and its plasma membrane
- Organelles and the cytoskeleton
- Cell junctions
- The nucleus, DNA and genes
- From gene to protein
- Cell division and differentiation
Tissues
Signals, repair and control
Integumentary system
- Layers of the skin
- Hair, nails and skin glands
- Functions of the skin
- Burns, wounds and skin repair
Bone tissue
- Functions of bone and long bone structure
- Bone cells and bone tissue
- Bone formation and growth
- Bone remodeling and fracture repair
The skeleton
- The axial skeleton and the skull
- The vertebral column
- The thoracic cage
- The pectoral girdle and upper limb
- The pelvic girdle and lower limb
Joints
- Classifying joints
- Synovial joints
- Movements at synovial joints
Muscle tissue
- Skeletal muscle structure
- The sliding filament model and cross-bridge cycle
- Motor units and muscle tension
- Muscle fiber types and exercise
- Smooth muscle and cardiac muscle
The muscular system
- How muscles move bones
- Muscles of the head and neck
- Muscles of the trunk
- Muscles of the shoulder and upper limb
- Muscles of the hip and lower limb
Nervous tissue and neural signaling
- Organization of the nervous system
- Neurons and glial cells
The brain and spinal cord
- Regions of the brain
- Meninges, ventricles and cerebrospinal fluid
- The spinal cord
- Cortical functions, memory, language and sleep
Nerves, reflexes and pathways
- Spinal nerves and plexuses
- Cranial nerves
Special senses
- Vision
- Hearing and equilibrium
The autonomic nervous system
- Sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions
Blood
- Blood composition and functions
- Red blood cells and hemoglobin
- White blood cells and platelets
- Blood types and transfusion
The cardiovascular system
- Heart location, coverings, chambers and great vessels
- Heart valves, septa and internal structure
- Blood flow through the heart and the two circuits
- Structure of blood vessels
- The major systemic arteries
- The major systemic veins
Lymphatic and immune systems
- The lymphatic system
The respiratory system
- Nose, pharynx and larynx
- Trachea, bronchial tree, alveoli and lungs
- Oxygen transport
The digestive system
- Organization and regulation of the digestive system
- Mouth, pharynx and esophagus
- The stomach
- The small intestine
- Liver, gallbladder and pancreas
- The large intestine
The urinary system
- Kidneys and the urinary tract
- The nephron
The reproductive system
- Meiosis and gametes
- Male reproductive anatomy
- Female reproductive anatomy
- Oogenesis and the ovarian cycle
Development and inheritance
- Fertilization
- Cleavage, implantation and the embryo
- The placenta
- Fetal development and fetal circulation
- Inheritance