Physiology of adult Homo sapiens

PHYSIOLOGY OF ADULT HOMO SAPIENS (older than 18 years of age)

Immune system (immunology) : Molecular Immunology^©

Blood : plasma, blood cells, and coagulation (hematology)

Heart (cardiology)

Systemic circulatory system (angiology)

Urinary apparatus

Respiratory apparatus, pulmonary blood and lymph circulation, and respiration

Nervous system and sense organs

Musculoskeletal apparatus and movements

Cutaneous apparatus

Endocrinology

Digestive apparatus (gastroenterology)

Reproductive apparatuses

Flying and immersion physiology

see also

developmental physiology

pediatrics

Homo sapiens molecular nosology : anatomical classification

general resources (see also the human genome resources in Multicellular Eukarya genome sequencing projects section)

Nomina Anatomica : the official body of anatomical nomenclature, applied specifically to that revised by the International Anatomical Nomenclature Committee appointed by the Fifth International Congress of Anatomists held at Oxford in 1950, and approved by the Sixth International Congress of Anatomists (Paris, 1955) with revisions approved by the Seventh (New York, 1960), Eighth (Wiesbaden, 1965), Tenth (Tokyo, 1975), Eleventh (Mexico City, 1980), and Twelfth (London, 1985) International Congresses of Anatomists. It has been superseded by
Terminologia Anatomica (TA) : International Anatomical Terminology: the official body of anatomical nomenclature created jointly by the Federative Committee on Anatomical Terminology and the 56 Member Associations of the International Associations of Anatomists and published in 1998.
anatomical position : the position of the human body, standing erect, with the face directed anteriorly and with the upper limbs at the sides and the palms turned anteriorly (supinated); used as the position of reference in description of site or direction of various structures or parts as established in official anatomical nomenclature.
clinostatism : a lying-down position of the body
orthostatism : an erect standing position of the body
écorché : a painting or sculpture of a man or other animal exhibited as deprived of its skin, so that the muscles are exposed for study
manikin : a model of the body, usually with movable or removable members and parts; uses include illustrating anatomy; teaching nursing and obstetrics; teaching certain surgical procedures, such as the removal of foreign bodies by bronchoscopy ; and teaching cardiopulmonary resuscitation .
physiome : quantitative and integrated description of the functional behavior of the physiological state of an individual or species. The physiome describes the physiological dynamics of the normal intact organism and is built upon information and structure (genome, proteome, and morphome)

Web resources

Physiome Project
The IUPS Physiome Project at The Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, New Zealand

Clinical values
Web resources :

dmoz Open Directory Project (ODP) : Anatomy
dmoz Open Directory Project (ODP) : Physiology
Human Protein Reviews On the Web (PROW) at NCBI
Anatomy of the human body by Henry Gray
Human Anatomy Online - InnerBody.com
The Digital Anatomist Program
Structure of the human body at Loyola University (Chicago) Stritch School of Medicine

Visible Human cross sections

The Visible Human Project (animated trip through the Visible Human male cryosections)
The NPAC Visible Human Viewer
The Visible Human Explorer
Marching through the Visible Man
Marching through the Visible Woman
VOXEL-MAN atlas
PhysioNet : complex physiological signals (EKGs, EEGs, ...)

age (see also aging )

infant (birth-1 year)

newborn infant (birth < t < month 1 (in Italy : birth < t < 15 days (fall of umbilical cord stump))
breast-fed (month 1-month 12)

first infancy / early childhood (1-5 years)

toddler (1-3 years)
preschooler (3-6 years)

second infancy / late childhood / schoolage (6-12 years)
adolescence / youth (13-17 years)

teen (10-19 years)

adulthood (> 18 years)

Anthropology (see also paleontology and paleoanthropology ) : the science that treats of humans, their origins, historical and cultural development, and races.

criminal anthropology : that branch of anthropology which treats of criminals and crimes.
cultural anthropology : that branch of anthropology which treats of humans in relation to their fellows and to their environment.
physical anthropology : that branch of anthropology which treats of the physical characteristics of humans.

anthropometry : the science which deals with the measurement of the size, weight, and proportions of the human body.

height : Statements that the average US citizens has gained an inch since the 1960s, released last week, have been criticized as misleading by a Munich-based historian of economics. The US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)^ref, published by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) on 27 October 2004, presents trends in estimates of mean weight, height and body mass index of adults from 1960 to 2002. The weight of the average American is increasing alarmingly: the average for both men and women has increased by 11 kilograms over the past 40 years. Americans did increase in height by just under an inch between 1960 and 1970, but they have stayed roughly the same height in the past three decades, whereas Europeans are still growing. Today western and northern Europeans are towering over Americans by as much as 7 centimetres and still growing. The opposite situation held in the nineteenth century, when Americans had a height advantage over Europeans of 3-9 centimetres^ref. Height generally increases in times of prosperity and decreases when conditions are harsher : in the second half of the twentieth century, US financial prosperity has not translated into a higher biological standard of living. The reasons include greater social inequality, inferior health and prenatal care and a worsening attitude to preventative medicine in the United States, compared with Europe. There has been a lot of immigration in the United States, especially in the past few decades, and that affects things
diameter (d) : the length of a straight line passing through the center of a circle and connecting opposite points on its circumference; hence the distance between two specified opposite points on the periphery of a structure such as the cranium or pelvis

anteroposterior diameter : the distance between a point on the anterior aspect and one on the posterior aspect of a structure, such as the true conjugate diameter of the pelvis, or the occipitofrontal diameter of the skull.
vertical diameter : the distance between 2 points situated on the upper and lower aspects of the structure being measured, such as the distance between the occipital foramen and the vertex of the skull
transverse diameter : the distance between 2 points located on the opposite sides of the body part being measured, such as the biparietal diameter of the head.

craniometry : the scientific measurement of the dimensions of the bones of the skull and face

porion / point Po : a craniometric landmark, being the most lateral point on the roof of the bony external acoustic meatus, vertically over the middle of the meatus
basion / point Ba : a craniometric landmark located at the midpoint of the anterior border of the foramen magnum in the median plane
basiobregmatic line : a line from the basion to the bregma
basialveolar length : the distance from the basion to the lower end of the intermaxillary suture.
basinasal or nasobasal line : a line from the basion to the nasion => basinasal length
nasobasilar line : a line through the basion and nasal point
Poirier's line : a line running from the nasofrontal angle to a point just above the lambda.
Flower's dental index : a craniometric index obtained by multiplying the dental length by 100 and dividing the product by the basinasal length
alveolobasilar line : a line from the basion to the upper alveolar limit
jugal point : the craniometric point at the union of the frontal and temporal processes of the zygomatic bone

cephalometry : scientific measurement of the dimensions of the head. In dentistry, certain combinations of linear and angular measurements developed from tracing the oriented lateral and frontal radiographic head film are used to assess craniofacial growth and development on a longitudinal basis and to determine the nature of orthodontic treatment response

nasion : a cephalometric landmark located where the internasal and nasofrontal sutures meet; it corresponds roughly to the depression at the root of the nose just inferior to the level of the eyebrows.
gnathion : an anthropometric landmark indicating the lowest point on the median line of the mandible.
gonion : an anthropometric landmark located at the most inferior, posterior, and lateral point on the external angle of the mandible, being the apex of the maximum curvature of the mandible, where the ascending ramus becomes confluent with the corpus
pogonion : a craniometric landmark, being the most anterior point in the contour of the chin in the sagittal plane
lambda : the point at the site of the posterior fontanel where the lambdoid and sagittal sutures meet; used as a craniometric landmark
bregma : the point on the surface of the skull at the junction of the coronal and sagittal sutures; used as a craniometric landmark
menton : a cranial osteometric landmark, being the lowest point of the mandibular symphysis on the lateral jaw projection as seen on x-ray films.
vertex of bony cranium / vertex cranii ossei : the highest point or crown of the skull; generally located on the sagittal suture, usually near the midpoint
facial line : a line connecting the nasion with the pogonion, gnathion, or menton
Jadelot's furrows or lines : lines of the face in young children, formerly thought to indicate specific types of disease

genal line : extending from the nasal line near the mouth toward the malar bone.
labial line : extending laterally from the angle of the mouth, thought to indicate disease of the lungs
nasal line : extending from the ala nasi in a semicircle around the mouth.
oculozygomatic line

fetal cephalometry : measurement of the fetal skull in utero by means of x-ray films or by interpreting the echoes of ultrasonic radiation received from each side of the skull.
pelvimetry : the measurement of the dimensions and capacity of the pelvis.

bi-iliac line : one joining the most prominent points of the two iliac crests
combined pelvimetry : pelvimetry in which measurements are made both within and outside the body.
instrumental pelvimetry : measurement of the pelvis with the pelvimeter.
manual pelvimetry : that which is performed with the hands.
x-ray pelvimetry : the measurement of the maternal pelvis and the fetal head using radiographic techniques
cephalopelvimetry / pelvicephalometry : measurement of the diameters of the head of the fetus in relation to those of the mother's pelvis

preaurale : a cephalometric landmark, the point at which a straight line from the postaurale, perpendicular to the long axis of the auricle, meets the base of the auricle.
postaurale : a cephalometric landmark, the most posterior point on the helix of the ear.
height, length-height or altitudinal index : the relation of the cranial height to the cranial length
auricular index : the relation of the width to the height of the auricle of the ear.
biauricular line : a line passing over the vertex of the skull from one acoustic meatus to the other.
auriculoparietal index : the ratio of the breadth of the skull between the auricular points to its greatest breadth.
auriculovertical index : the ratio of the height of the skull superior to the auricular point to its greatest height.
basilar index : the ratio of the distance between the basion and the alveolar point to the total length of the skull.
cephalic index : 100 times the maximal head breadth divided by the maximal head length.
cephalo-orbital index : 100 times the capacity of the cranium divided by the capacity of the 2 orbits.
cephalospinal index : the ratio of the area of the foramen magnum in square meters and the cranial capacity in cubic centimeters.
cerebral index : the ratio of the greatest transverse to the greatest anteroposterior diameter of the cranial cavity.
coronofrontal index : the ratio of the greatest frontal to the greatest coronal breadth of the head.
cranial index : 100 times the maximal breadth of the skull divided by its length.
facial index : the relation of the length of the face to its width, obtained by multiplying by 100 the bizygomatic width and dividing the product by the distance from the ophryon to the alveolar point.
alveolar or gnathic index : the degree of prominence of the upper jaw, expressed as a percentage of the distance from basion to nasion
length-breadth index : the breadth of the skull expressed as a percentage of its length.
length-height index : the height of the skull expressed as a percentage of its length.
maxilloalveolar index : the distance between the 2 most lateral points on the external surface of the upper alveolar margin, usually opposite the middle of the second permanent molar teeth, divided by the maxilloalveolar length.
morphologic face index : 100 times the distance from the nasion to the gnathion divided by the bizygomatic breadth.
nasal index : 100 times the maximal breadth of the nasal aperture divided by the nasion-nasospinale height.
orbital index (of Broca) : 100 times the height of the opening of the orbit, divided by its width.
palatal, palatine or palatomaxillary index : a numerical expression of the ratio of various proportions of the palate obtained by multiplying the palatal breadth by 100 and dividing the product by the palatal length (brachystaphyline or leptostaphyline)
physiognomonic upper face index : 100 times the distance from the nasion to the stomion divided by the bizygomatic breadth.
vertical index : 100 times the height of the skull divided by the length of the skull.
zygomaticoauricular index : the ratio between the zygomatic and auricular diameters of the skull.
cant of mandible : the angle formed by the intersection of the mandibular (gonion-gnathion) plane with the sella-nasion or Frankfort plane
cranial diameters : distances measured between certain landmarks of the skull, such as the

biparietal diameter (BPD) : the distance between the 2 parietal eminences.
bitemporal diameter : the distance between the 2 extremities of the coronal suture.
cervicobregmatic diameter : the distance between the center of the anterior fontanel and the junction of the neck with the floor of the mouth.
frontomental diameter : the distance from the forehead to the chin.
fronto-occipital or occipitofrontal diameter : the distance from the external occipital protuberance to the most prominent midpoint of the frontal bone
mento-occipital or occipitomental diameter : the distance from the external occipital protuberance to the most prominent midpoint of the chin
suboccipitobregmatic diameter : the distance from the lowest posterior point of the occiput to the center of the anterior fontanel

craniometric diameter : any line connecting 2 craniometric points of the same name.

inferior longitudinal diameter : the distance from the foramen cecum to the internal occipital protuberance.

mentoparietal diameter : the distance from the chin to the vertex of the skull.
parietal or posterotransverse diameter : the distance between tuberosities of parietal bones
sagittal diameter : the distance from the glabella to the external occipital protuberance
inion : the most prominent point of the external occipital protuberance
glabella : 1. the smooth area on the frontal bone between the superciliary arches. 2. the most prominent point in the median plane between the eyebrows; used as an anthropometric landmark.
Topinard's line : a line from the glabella to the pogonion
precentral line : a line on the head, extending from a point midway between the inion and glabella downward and forward
anterotransverse or temporal diameter (of the cranium) : the distance between the tips of the alae magnae
auriculobregmatic line : a line from the auricular point to the bregma

bisacromial diameter : the distance between the outermost points of the shoulder.
vertebromammary diameter : the anteroposterior diameter of the chest.
brachial index : 100 times the length of the arm from the head of the radius to the styloid process divided by the length of the arm from the acromion to the head of the radius.
Brugsch index : 100 times the chest circumference divided by body length.
femorohumeral index : 100 times the length of the humerus divided by the length of the femur.
forearm-hand index : 100 times the length of the hand divided by the length of the forearm.
Fourmentin's thoracic index : the number obtained by multiplying the transverse diameter of the thorax by 100 and dividing by the anteroposterior diameter.
habitus index : 100 times the sum of the chest girth and the abdominal girth divided by the stature
hand index : 100 times the breadth of the hand divided by the length of the hand.
intermembral index : 100 times the length of the humerus plus radius divided by the length of the femur plus tibia.
Becker-Lennhoff's index : the number obtained by dividing 100 times the distance from the sternal notch to the symphysis pubis by the greatest circumference of the abdomen.
lower leg?foot index : 100 times the length of the foot divided by the length of the lower leg.
metacarpal index : the average of the figures obtained by dividing the lengths of the right second, third, fourth, and fifth metacarpal bones by their respective breadths at the exact midpoint; stated to range normally between 5.4 and 7.9. A value above 8.4 is diagnostic of arachnodactyly.
morphological index : the volume of the trunk divided by the length of the limbs.
radiohumeral index : 100 times the maximal length of the radius divided by the maximal length of the humerus.
sacral index : 100 times the breadth of the sacrum divided by the length.
thoracic index : the ratio of the anteroposterior diameter of the thorax to the transverse diameter.
tibiofemoral index : 100 times the length of the tibia divided by the length of the femur.

dolichoknemic : having a tibiofemoral index > 83

tibioradial index : 100 times the length of the radius divided by the length of the tibia.
trunk index : 100 times the bi-acromial breadth divided by the sitting suprasternal height.
siqua [coined from L. sidentis altitudinis quadratio, the square of the sitting height] : Pirquet's unit for calculating the area of the absorptive surface of the intestine; it is the square of the sitting height (in centimeters).
Hueter's line : a straight line connecting the medial epicondyle of the humerus with the top of the olecranon when the arm is extended
Moyer's line : a line from the middle of the body of the S3 vertebra to a point midway between the anterior superior iliac spines.
Robson's line : an imaginary line drawn from the nipple to the umbilicus
Meyer's line : the axial line of the big toe which if extended passes through the center of the heel if shoes have never been worn

Bibliography

Arthur C.Guyton, John E.Hall : Textbook of Medical Physiology, by W.B.Saunders Co.
Robert M.Berne, Matthew N.Levy Physiology by Mosby-Year Book Inc.
Bloom & Fawcett Don W.- A textbook of Histology XII edition 1994, by Chapman & Hall, New York, USA

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