Active learning

Study tips
Consider using these tips to achieve success in meeting your learning goals.

1. A number of topics are introduced in this chapter that will be important throughout the rest of the course.
2. One of your first steps should be mastering the new terminology of each chapter. Read the new terms listed at the beginning of each chapter out loud before attempting to read or learn each new topic. Use the pronunciation guides provided, saying each term several times to “get it into” your working memory. Pay attention to word parts, too—they’ll help you master the terminology of science and medicine more quickly. (For more terminology tips, see my-ap.us/fsboS2.)
3. The most important concept is probably homeostasis. The word itself tells you what it means: homeo means “the same,” stasis means “staying.” Homeostasis is the balance the body tries to maintain by making sure its internal environment “stays the same.” Make sure you understand this concept. (For more tips on homeostasis, see my-ap.us/rs3KqV.)
4. Another important topic introduced in this chapter is the structural levels of organization. The lower levels are the building blocks on which the upper levels depend. As various disease processes are explained in later chapters, notice how many of these processes cause failure at the chemical or cellular level and how this failure affects organs, systems, and even the body as a whole.
5. Become familiar with the directional terms—you will see them in almost every diagram in the text. The terms also are used in naming several body structures (for example, superior vena cava, distal convoluted tubule). The terms are fairly easy to learn because they are presented in opposite pairs, so if you learn one term, you almost always automatically know its opposite. Flash cards will help you learn them. (For more on using flash cards effectively, see my-ap.us/LzuowE. See my-ap.us/K9GtVc for more tips on learning directions.)
6. Table 1-2 and Appendix B (at evolve.elsevier.com) are helpful resources to keep in mind when you see an unfamiliar term.
7. In your study group, try to come up with examples of negative feedback loops that help maintain a balance. Be creative—and try to use something other than the furnace example. Go over your directional-term flash cards or photocopy Figure 1-4 and then blacken out the terms so you and your fellow students can use the illustration to quiz each other. Go over the questions at the end of the chapter and discuss possible test questions.

Review questions
Write out the answers to these questions after reading the chapter and reviewing the Chapter Summary. If you simply think through the answer without writing it down, you will not retain much of your new learning.

1. Define anatomy, physiology, and pathology.
2. Disease results from what general conditions in the body?
3. Describe the process used to form scientific theories.
4. List and explain the levels of organization in the human body.
5. Describe the anatomical position.
6. Name and describe the three planes or sections of the body.
7. List two organs of the mediastinum, two organs of the abdominal cavity, and two organs of the pelvic cavity.
8. List the nine regions of the abdominopelvic cavity, beginning at the upper left region and ending at the lower right region.
9. Name the main areas of the axial skeleton.
10. Name the two subdivisions of the dorsal cavity. What structure does each contain?
11. Explain the difference between the terms lower extremity, thigh, and leg.
12. List four conditions in the cell that must be kept in homeostatic balance.
13. List the three parts of a negative feedback loop and give the function of each.

Critical thinking
After finishing the Review Questions, write out the answers to these more in-depth questions to help you apply your new knowledge. Go back to sections of the chapter that relate to concepts that you find difficult.
14. Identify a structure that is inferior to the heart, superior to the heart, anterior to the heart, posterior to the heart, and lateral to the heart.
15. The maintenance of body temperature and the birth of a baby are two body functions that are regulated by feedback loops. Explain the different feedback loops that regulate each process.
16. If a person complained of pain in the epigastric region, what organs could be involved?
17. Give an example of a negative feedback loop that occurs during exercise. Explain the physiology involved during the process.