Anatomy and Physiology for Nursing and Healthcare Students at a Glance

Ian Peate

• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN: 9781119757207
• eBook ISBN: 9781119757221
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Medicine
• Subtopic: Nursing

Anatomy and Physiology for Nursing and Healthcare Students at a Glance

The market-leading at a Glance series is popular among healthcare students and newly qualified practitioners for its concise, simple approach and excellent illustrations.

Each bite-sized chapter is covered in a double-page spread with clear, easy-to-follow diagrams, supported by succinct explanatory text.

Covering a wide range of topics, books in the at a Glance series are ideal as introductory texts for teaching, learning and revision, and are useful throughout university and beyond.

Everything you need to know about anatomy and physiology … at a Glance!

An ideal introduction and revision guide for anatomy and physiology

As part of the popular At a Glance series, Anatomy & Physiology for Nursing & Healthcare Students provides a wonderful introduction to the topic and is written with the student nurse in mind. This is also a useful reference guide for any healthcare professional looking for a quick refresher on the human body. The book strikes a balance between being succinct without being superficial, with concise writing that provides an overview of anatomy and physiology. Helping nurses develop practical skills and deliver increasingly complex care for patients through the study of how the body functions, readers will also find:

• A user-friendly approach that includes bite-size pieces of information and full-colour diagrams to help students retain, recall, and apply facts to their practice
• Clinical practice points that aim to encourage readers to relate to the theoretical concepts in practice
• New to the second edition: a chapter on anatomical terms and emphasising the importance of the correct anatomical terminology in communication between healthcare professionals
• Includes access to a companion website with self-assessment questions for each chapter

This quick and easy-to-digest introduction to anatomy and physiology is the perfect textbook for nursing students in all fields of practice, allied healthcare students including paramedics and physiotherapists, and newly qualified nurses and nursing associates. It is also an ideal reference book for anyone looking for an overview of the human body. The book is also available in a range of digital formats which allows for easy access on the go.

For more information on the complete range of Wiley nursing and health publishing, please visit: www.wiley.com

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This new edition is also available as an e-book. For more details, please see www.wiley.com/buy/9781119757207

Part 1
Foundations

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Chapters

1. 1 Anatomical terms
2. 2 Genetics and genomics
3. 3 Homeostasis
4. 4 Fluid compartments
5. 5 Cells and organelles
6. 6 Transport systems
7. 7 Blood
8. 8 Inflammation and immunity
9. 9 Tissues

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1
Anatomical terms

Figure 1.1 The standard anatomical position.

Figure 1.2 Anatomical terms.

Source: Tortora GJ, Derrickson B. (2017) Tortora’s Principles of Anatomy and Physiology, 15th edn. Hoboken: Wiley

Figure 1.3 Anatomical planes.

Source: Tortora GJ, Derrickson B. (2017) Tortora’s Principles of Anatomy and Physiology, 15th edn. Hoboken: Wiley

Figure 1.4 Body cavities.

Source: Tortora GJ, Derrickson B. (2017) Tortora’s Principles of Anatomy and Physiology, 15th edn. Hoboken: Wiley, with permission from John Wiley & Sons.

Table 1.1 The body cavities.

Cavity	Content
Dorsal	Cranial cavity: holds the brain Spinal cavity: includes spinal column and spinal cord
Ventral	Thoracic cavity: surrounded by the ribs and chest muscles, superior to the diaphragm and abdominopelvic cavity. Further divided into the pleural cavities (left and right) which contain the lungs, bronchi and the mediastinum which contains the heart, pericardial membranes, large vessels of the heart, trachea, upper oesophagus, thymus, lymph nodes and other blood vessels and nerves Abdominopelvic cavity: divided into the abdominal cavity and pelvic cavity. The abdominal cavity: is between the diaphragm and the pelvis, lined with a membrane, contains the stomach, lower part of the oesophagus, small and large intestines (apart from sigmoid and rectum), spleen, liver, gallbladder, pancreas and adrenal glands, kidneys and ureters. The pelvic cavity: contains the urinary bladder, some reproductive organs and the rectum

Anatomical position

Those terms that are used to describe locations and positions reference a person in what is known as the anatomical position. The international standard anatomical position is standing upright as seen in Figure 1.1; whenever referring to anatomical terms, always apply them to the person standing in the anatomical position. By using this as a standard posture for anatomical descriptions, confusion can be avoided even when in reality the person is in some other position.

The position is defined as if the body is standing erect with hips and knees extended, head forward facing, eyes open looking directly forwards with the mouth closed. The arms are by the sides (shoulders adducted), the palms are facing forward (elbows extended and wrists supinated), and the feet together. In this position, the radius and ulna are parallel.

Anatomical terms

It is important to understand and use anatomical terminology when making a description of body parts so there is a shared method of communicating (a common language) with nurses, doctors and other healthcare staff. This is done in order to accurately describe anatomical locations irrespective of their language. Knowing about anatomical terms makes things safer and clearer and will save time.

Anatomical terms (using a specific vocabulary) describe the directions within the body and also the body’s reference planes, cavities and regions (Figure 1.2). There are a number of occasions when a nurse or other healthcare worker is required to record information in nursing or medical notes with the intention of communicating with others or telling others the exact body part or location. Standard terms for describing human anatomy including the body and its organs are required to do this.

Directional terms

Directional terms describe the positions of structures relative to other structures or locations in the body.

When referring to left and right, reference is being made to the left and right side of the person standing in the anatomical position, not to the left and right side of the observer.

Anterior (also called ventral) refers to the front of the body and posterior (dorsal is also used) to the back of the body. The nipples, for example, are on the anterior (ventral) surface of the body, the buttocks are superior (dorsal).

Superior means above, towards the head, and inferior means below, towards the feet. The umbilicus is superior to the genitalia but inferior to the head.

Proximal and distal are only used to describe two points on the same arm or leg. Proximal means close to where the arm or leg is inserted into the body. Distal means further away from where the arm or leg is inserted into the body. The knee is proximal to the ankle as the knee is closer to where the leg inserts into the body. Wit...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Table of Contents
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Preface
• Abbreviations
• Acknowledgements
• How to use your revision guide and the companion website
• Part 1: Foundations
• Part 2: The nervous system
• Part 3: The heart and vascular system
• Part 4: The respiratory system
• Part 5: The gastrointestinal tract
• Part 6: The urinary system
• Part 7: The male reproductive system
• Part 8: The female reproductive system
• Part 9: The endocrine system
• Part 10: The musculoskeletal system
• Part 11: The skin
• Part 12: The senses
• Appendix 1: Appendix 1: Normal physiological values
• Appendix 2: Appendix 2: Prefixes and suffixes
• Appendix 3: Appendix 3: Glossary
• Further readingFurther reading
• Index
• End User License Agreement