医学英语教程Chapter2.doc

Chapter 2 Terms pertaining to the body as a whole I. Structural Organization of the body. Cells The cells is the fundamental unit of all living things (animal or plant). Cells are every where in the human body-every tissue, every tissue, every organ is made up of these individual units. Similarity in Cells. Allcells are similar in that they contain a gelatinouis substance composed of water, protein, sugar, acids, fats, and various minerals. Several parts of a cell with an electron microscope. Label the structures on Figure 2-1. Throughout the book, numbers in brackets indicate that the boldfaced term preceding it is to be used in labeling. The cell membrane not only surrounds and protects the cell, but also regulates what passes into and out of the cell. The nucleus controls the operations of the cell. It directs ce;; dovosopm amd determines the structure and function of the cell.Chromosomes are rod-like structures within the necleus. All human body cells contain 23 pairs of chromosomes. Each sperm and egg cell has only 23 unpaired chromosomes. After the egg and sperm cells unite to form the embryo, each cell of the embryo, each cell of the embryo then has 46 chromosomes Chromosomes contain regions called genes. These are sevveral thousand genes, in an orderly sequence, on every chromosome. Each gene is composed of a chemical called DNA. DNA regulates the activities of the cell by its sequence on each chromosome. The DNA sequence resembles a series of recipes in code. The code, when passed out of the nucleus to the rest of the cell, directs the activities of the cell, such as cell division and synthesis of proteins. Chromosomes within the necleus are analyzed in terms of their size, arrangement, and number by performing a karytype. Karyotyping of chromosomes determines whether the chromosomes are normal in number and structure. For example, obstetricians often recommend an amniocentesis for a pregnant woman so that the karyotype of the baby can be examined. Figure