This book combines a body systems approach to basic anatomy and physiology concepts with a strong emphasis on clinical considerations and applications. Readability and coverage are at the appropriate level for students approaching the study of anatomy and physiology for the first time, and include analogues and examples. In every chapter, the student is shown how organized anatomical structures serve unique and specialized functions. Failures of homeostasis are shown as basic mechanisms of disease - a concept that reinforces understanding of the regulatory systems of the human body. Features of this volume include chapters on disease, heart disease and hereditary disease; an appendix on disease producing organisms; boxed essays on general topics, fitness, and clinical applications; and a chemistry of life appendix.