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Gray's Anatomy for Students Ch 1 The Body
Study Guide.
Regional Approach - answer✔A method of studying anatomy that considers each region of the
body in isolation.
Systemic Approach - answer✔A method of studying anatomy where the body is studied system
by system (i.e., cardiovascular, nervous, etc.)
Coronal Plane - answer✔An anatomical plane dividing the body into anterior (front) and
posterior (back) halves.
Sagittal Plane - answer✔An anatomical plane that divides the body into left and right halves.
Median Sagittal Plane - answer✔The specific sagittal plane that passes through the midline of
the body, dividing it into equal left and right halves.
Transverse Plane - answer✔An anatomical plane that divides the body into superior (upper) and
inferior (lower) halves. Also known as a Horizontal Plane.
Horizontal Plane - answer✔Another term for the transverse plane. It divides the body into
upper (superior) and lower (inferior) parts.
Axial Plane - answer✔Another term for the transverse plane. It divides the body into upper
(superior) and lower (inferior) parts.
Anterior (Ventral) - answer✔Pertaining to the front, or forward-facing side, of the body.
Posterior (Dorsal) - answer✔Pertaining to the back, or rear-facing side, of the body.
Medial - answer✔Referring to the midline of the body; closer to the middle.
Lateral - answer✔Away from the midline of the body; closer to the sides.
Superior - answer✔Above or closer to the head.
Inferior - answer✔Below or closer to the feet.
Proximal - answer✔Closer to the point of attachment or to the trunk of the body.
Distal - answer✔Farther from the point of attachment or from the trunk of the body.
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Cranial - answer✔Pertaining to the skull or head.
Caudal - answer✔Pertaining to the tail or the lower part of the body.
Rostral - answer✔Toward the front of the head or body.
Superficial - answer✔Near the surface of the body.
Deep - answer✔Farther from the surface of the body.
Barium Sulfate Suspension - answer✔A type of contrast medium used in medical imaging to
enhance the visualization of certain structures or areas within the body.
Iodine - answer✔An element used as a contrast medium in medical imaging due to its high
atomic number, making it opaque on X-ray films.
Intravenous Urography - answer✔A radiological procedure used to visualize the urinary
system, including the kidneys, ureters, and bladder.
Static Image Acquisition - answer✔Capturing a single, unchanging image in medical imaging,
such as an X-ray.
Dynamic Image Acquisition - answer✔Capturing a sequence of images showing movement or
change over time in medical imaging.
Gated Image Acquisition - answer✔A type of image acquisition where the imaging is synced
with a physiological process, such as a particular phase of the cardiac cycle.
Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) - answer✔A nuclear medicine
imaging technique that provides 3D images of the distribution of a radioactive tracer within the
body.
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) - answer✔A functional imaging technique that uses
radioactive substances known as radiotracers to visualize and measure changes in metabolic
processes.
Functional Imaging - answer✔A type of medical imaging that is used to visualize body
functions, or metabolic processes, rather than the anatomy.
Synovial Joints - answer✔Freely movable joints that contain a cavity filled with synovial fluid,
which lubricates and nourishes the joint.
Solid Joints - answer✔Joints that are connected by solid tissue such as cartilage or fibrous
tissue and generally have limited mobility.
Hyaline Cartilage - answer✔A type of connective tissue that is both flexible and firm,
providing smooth surfaces for the movement of articulating bones.
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Joint Capsule - answer✔The fibrous tissue envelope that encloses the cavity of a synovial joint.
Synovial Membrane - answer✔The soft tissue that lines the non-cartilaginous surfaces within
the joint capsule of a synovial joint, secreting synovial fluid.
Fibrous Membrane - answer✔A type of connective tissue that consists of bundles of
collagenous white fibers between which are rows of connective tissue cells.
Articular Discs - answer✔Fibrocartilaginous structures found between the articulating surfaces
of some synovial joints, providing shock absorption and load distribution.
Fat Pads - answer✔Collections of adipose tissue within a synovial joint, acting as packing
material and helping to protect the joint.
Tendons - answer✔Fibrous connective tissue that connects muscle to bone, capable of
withstanding tension.
Fibrous Joints - answer✔Joints where the articulating bones are joined by dense fibrous
connective tissue and have no joint cavity, generally permitting little or no movement.
Sutures - answer✔A type of fibrous joint found only in the skull, where bones are joined by a
thin layer of dense fibrous tissue.
Gomphoses - answer✔A type of fibrous joint that binds the teeth to bony sockets in the
maxillary bone and mandible.
Syndesmoses - answer✔A type of fibrous joint in which the bones are joined by a band of
fibrous tissue, allowing for more movement than sutures or gomphoses.
Cartilaginous Joints - answer✔Joints in which the bones are attached by cartilage, allowing for
more movement than fibrous joints but less than synovial joints.
Synchondroses - answer✔A type of cartilaginous joint where the connecting material is hyaline
cartilage.
Symphyses - answer✔A type of cartilaginous joint where the bones are connected by a pad of
fibrocartilage.
Extraperitoneal Fascia - answer✔A layer of connective tissue that lines the abdominal and
pelvic cavities and surrounds the abdominal viscera.
Endothoracic Fascia - answer✔A layer of connective tissue lying between the inner surface of
the thoracic cage and the lung pleura.
Chylomicrons - answer✔Lipoprotein particles that consist of triglycerides, phospholipids,
cholesterol, and proteins and transport dietary lipids from the intestines to other locations in the
body.
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Lacteals - answer✔Specialized lymphatic capillaries in the small intestine that absorb dietary
fats.
Lymph - answer✔A clear fluid that circulates throughout the lymphatic system, composed of a
variety of substances including proteins, fats, and certain white blood cells.
Chyle - answer✔A milky bodily fluid that consists of lymph and emulsified fats, or free fatty
acids (FFAs). It is formed in the small intestine during digestion.
Gray Matter - answer✔Regions of the nervous system that are made up of neuronal cell bodies,
dendrites, unmyelinated axons, glial cells, and capillaries.
White Matter - answer✔Regions of the nervous system composed mainly of myelinated axons
(nerve fibers), giving it a whitish appearance.
Ventricles (Brain) - answer✔Fluid-filled cavities in the brain, containing cerebrospinal fluid,
which provides cushioning for the brain, circulates nutrients, and removes waste.
Somatic Part - answer✔The portion of the nervous system associated with the voluntary control
of body movements and sensory information from the body's external environment.
Visceral Part - answer✔The portion of the nervous system associated with the involuntary
control of internal organs and systems.
Somites - answer✔Blocks of mesoderm that are located on either side of the neural tube in the
developing vertebrate embryo. These structures will differentiate into dermis, skeletal muscle,
cartilage, tendons, and vertebrae.
Dermatomyotome - answer✔A portion of the somite in a developing embryo that will give rise
to both muscle (myotome) and skin (dermatome).
Hypaxial Muscles - answer✔Muscles located anterior to the horizontal septum in vertebrates,
including those of the limb, thoracic wall, and the muscles of the tongue.
Epaxial Muscles - answer✔Muscles located posterior to the horizontal septum, including the
extensor muscles of the vertebral column.
Motor Neurons - answer✔Neurons that transmit signals from the central nervous system to
effectors (like muscles or glands) in order to bring about a response.
Sensory Neurons - answer✔Neurons that transmit signals from sensory receptors to the central
nervous system for processing and interpreting.
Somatic Sensory Neurons - answer✔Sensory neurons that convey information from sensory
receptors in the skin, muscles, bones, and joints to the central nervous system.
