Introduction

Congratulations on your decision to study human anatomy and physiology. The knowledge you gain from your study is of value in many aspects of your life.

Begin with the most obvious: the social value of this knowledge. Human anatomy and physiology is always a suitable topic of discussion in social situations because it allows people to talk about their favorite subject (themselves) in a not-too-personal way. Thus, some particularly interesting detail of anatomy and physiology is an ideal conversation opener with attractive strangers or horrifying shirt-tail relatives. (First, though, be completely clear in your mind about the boundary between scientific anatomy and physiology on the one hand and personal clinical details on the other.) Choose the specific topic carefully to be sure of having your intended effect. For example, telling a young boy that he has the same density of hair follicles on his body as a chimp does will probably please him. Telling his teenage sister the same thing may alienate her. Use this power carefully!

A little background in anatomy and physiology should be considered a valuable part of anyone’s education. Health and medical matters are part of world events and people’s daily lives. Basic knowledge of anatomy and physiology gets you started when trying to make sense of the news about epidemics, novel drugs and medical devices, and purported environmental hazards, to name just a few examples. Anatomy and physiology prepare you to be a more well-rounded, knowledgeable person and will help you be a better parent, spouse, care-giver, neighbor, friend, or colleague.

Knowledge of anatomy and physiology may also benefit your own health. Sometimes, comprehension of a particular fact or concept can help drive a good decision about long-term health matters, like the demonstrated benefits of exercise, or it may help you take appropriate action in the context of a specific medical problem, like an infection, an infarction, a cut, or a muscle strain. You may understand your doctors’ instructions better during a course of treatment, which may give you a better medical outcome.

About This Book

This book guides you on a quick walk-through of human anatomy and physiology. It doesn’t have the same degree of technical detail as a textbook. It contains relatively little in the way of lists of important anatomical structures, for instance.

We expect that most readers are using this book as a complementary resource for course work in anatomy and physiology at the high-school, college, or career-training level. Most of the information overlaps with the information available in your other resources. However, sometimes a slightly different presentation of a fact or of the relationship between facts can lead to a small “aha!” Some technical details in your more comprehensive resources may become easier to master after that. Consider reading the relevant chapter prior to class. That way, when your instructor covers the content, it’ll be more likely to stick!

The goals of this book are to be informal but not unscientific; brief but not sketchy; and information-rich but accessible to readers at many levels. We’ve tried to present a light but serious survey of human anatomy and physiology that you can enjoy for the sake of the information it imparts and that will help you perform well on your tests. As always, the reader is the judge of its success.

You won’t find clinical information in this book. Chapters 4 through 15 have a pathophysiology section that uses disorders and disease states to explore the details of some physiological processes, but this book contains nothing related to patient care or self-care. It’s also not a health and wellness manual or any kind of lifestyle book.

Within this book, you may note that some web addresses break across two lines of text. If you’re reading this book in print and want to visit one of these web pages, simply key in the web address exactly as it’s noted in the text, pretending as though the line break doesn’t exist. If you’re reading this as an e-book, you’ve got it easy — just click the web address to be taken directly to the web page.

Foolish Assumptions

When we wrote this book, we tried to keep you in mind. We’re guessing that you fall into one of these categories:

Icons Used in This Book

The little round pictures that you see in the margins throughout this book are icons that alert you to several different kinds of information.

tip The Tip icon lets you know what you can do to improve your understanding of an anatomical structure.

remember The Remember icon serves to jog your memory. Sometimes, the text is information that we think you should permanently store in your anatomy and physiology file. Other times, the info here makes a connection between what you’re reading and related information elsewhere in the book.

technicalstuff The Technical Stuff icon flags extra information that takes your understanding of anatomy or physiology to a slightly deeper level, but the text isn’t essential for understanding the organ system under discussion.

Beyond the Book

In addition to the material in the print or e-book you’re reading right now, this product also comes with some access-anywhere goodies on the web. Check out the free Cheat Sheet for more on everything from anatomical terms to the anatomical planes of the body and more. To get this Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and type Anatomy & Physiology For Dummies Cheat Sheet in the Search box.

Where to Go from Here

If you’re a formal student (that is, one who’s enrolled or planning to enroll in a formal course in human anatomy and physiology), you may get the most benefit by becoming familiar with this book a week or two before your course begins. Flip to the color plates in the center of the book to get started. The illustrations, charming as well as scientific, are arranged to follow the flow of the text, and the callouts indicate important technical terminology.

Then peruse the book as you would any science book; look at the table of contents and the index. Read the Introduction. (See, you’ve started already!) Then start reading chapters. Look at the figures, especially the color plates, as you read. You’ll probably be able to get through the entire book in just a couple of sittings. Then go back and reread chapters you found particularly interesting, relevant, or puzzling. Study the illustrations carefully. The line drawings as well as the color plates are keyed closely to the text and often clarify important facts. Pay attention to technical terminology; your instructors will use it and expect you to use it, too.

If you’re a casual reader (you’re not enrolled in a formal course in anatomy and physiology and have little or no background in biology), the following approach may work well. Take some time with the color plates at the center of the book. They give you a good feel for the flow of information (and a good feeling about the human body). Then read the book straight through, beginning to end. Look at the figures, especially the color plates, as you read. After you’ve been through it all quickly once, go back and reread chapters you found particularly interesting, relevant, or puzzling. Make a habit of studying the illustrations while reading the related text. Don’t sweat too much over terminology; for your purposes, saying “of my lungs” communicates as well as “pulmonary.” (If you also enjoy word games, though, you can get started on a whole new vocabulary.) Keep the book handy for future reference the next time you wonder what the heck they’re talking about in a TV drug ad. The color plates alone make it worth space on your bookshelf.