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Chapter 1. An Introduction to the Human Body

1.0 Introduction

Healthcare professional taking a patient's blood pressure with a stethoscope and cuff.
Figure 1.0 – Blood Pressure: One of the many homeostatic parameters kept in balance in the body is blood pressure. If blood pressure is too high, it can damage cells and tissues, but if blood pressure is too low, then the cells of the body might not get the oxygen and nutrients they need in a timely manner. The body has many systems to keep blood pressure (and other physiological parameters) under control.

Chapter Objectives

After studying this chapter, you will be able to:

  • compare and contrast the study of anatomy and physiology;
  • describe the structure of the body, from simplest to most complex;
  • define homeostasis and explain its importance to normal human functioning; and
  • use appropriate anatomical terminology to identify key body structures, body regions, and directions in the body.

Though you may approach a course in anatomy and physiology strictly as a requirement for your field of study, the knowledge you gain in this course will serve you well in many aspects of your life. An understanding of anatomy and physiology is fundamental to any career in the health professions, but it can also benefit your own health. Familiarity with the human body can help you make healthful choices and prompt you to take appropriate action when signs of illness arise. Your knowledge in this field will help you understand news about nutrition, medications, medical devices, and procedures and help you understand genetic or infectious diseases. At some point, everyone will have a problem with some aspect of his or her body, and your knowledge can help you be a better parent, spouse, partner, friend, colleague, or caregiver.

This chapter begins with an overview of anatomy and physiology and a preview of the body regions and functions. It then covers the characteristics of life and how the body works to maintain stable conditions. It introduces a set of standard terms for body structures and for planes and positions in the body that will serve as a foundation for more comprehensive information covered later in the text.

This work, Human Physiology, is adapted from Anatomy & Physiology by OpenStax, licensed under CC BY. This edition, with revised content and artwork, is licensed under CC BY-SA except where otherwise noted.

Images from Anatomy & Physiology by OpenStax are licensed under CC BY except where otherwise noted.

Access the original for free at OpenStax.

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Human Physiology Copyright © by Leslie Bach, Nour Al-muhtasib, Leslie King, and Nicole Thometz is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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