ITEC Anatomy & Physiology study guide
ITEC Anatomy & Physiology · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The ITEC Anatomy & Physiology qualification is a foundational, theory-based award for people who need a confident working knowledge of the human body - most commonly massage therapists, beauty and holistic practitioners, sports massage students, and anyone building towards a career where understanding body structures underpins safe practice. It is typically studied alongside or before practical bodywork training, because you cannot safely treat tissue you cannot name, locate, or explain. The ITEC Anatomy & Physiology study guide has 10 sections and about 3,866 words.
01The Cell and Tissues of the Body
The cell and tissues domain tests how cell structure supports transport, metabolism and division, and how the four basic tissue types - epithelial, connective, muscle and nervous - combine to form organs. Questions often ask you to predict movement across membranes, classify epithelia, or identify a tissue from its matrix and cells.
384 words, about 2 min02The Skeletal System
The skeletal system domain tests bone as living tissue, the organization of the axial and appendicular skeleton, joint structure and movement, and the skeleton’s roles in support, protection, mineral storage and blood cell production. Expect questions that link bone cells, growth, remodeling and calcium balance.
390 words, about 2 min03The Muscular System
The muscular system domain tests how skeletal, cardiac and smooth muscle produce force, how sarcomeres shorten, and how nerves and muscles communicate at the neuromuscular junction. Questions often require you to follow excitation-contraction coupling or distinguish muscle actions and fiber types.
405 words, about 2 min04The Cardiovascular and Lymphatic Systems
The cardiovascular and lymphatic systems domain tests blood flow, cardiac excitation and the cardiac cycle, blood pressure regulation, capillary exchange, and lymphatic return. Expect questions that connect vessel structure with function and use simple hemodynamic calculations.
390 words, about 2 min05The Respiratory System
The respiratory system domain tests ventilation, pressure changes, gas exchange, oxygen and carbon dioxide transport, and neural control of breathing. Questions often ask you to predict how changing volume, resistance or altitude affects alveolar ventilation and blood gases.
386 words, about 2 min06The Digestive System
The digestive system domain tests mechanical and chemical digestion, secretion, absorption and regulation along the gastrointestinal tract. Expect questions on enzyme specificity, pH, villi, transporters and the roles of the liver, pancreas and gallbladder.
357 words, about 2 min07The Nervous System and Endocrine System
The nervous and endocrine systems domain tests rapid neural signaling, slower hormonal regulation, and the integration of both systems. Questions often ask you to follow an action potential, identify a reflex arc, or interpret a feedback loop involving the hypothalamus and pituitary.
406 words, about 2 min08The Skin, Hair and Nails (Integumentary System)
The integumentary system domain tests skin layers, accessory structures, barrier and temperature functions, wound healing and burn assessment. Questions often require you to identify the layer involved in an injury or distinguish gland and hair types.
373 words, about 2 min09The Urinary and Reproductive Systems
The urinary and reproductive systems domain tests nephron function, fluid and acid-base balance, gamete production and reproductive cycles. Questions often ask you to trace filtration, reabsorption or secretion, or to compare male and female reproductive physiology.
386 words, about 2 min10Homeostasis and the Interrelationship of Body Systems
Homeostasis tests how the body maintains stable internal conditions through feedback, transport, nervous and endocrine control, and coordinated organ function. Questions often present a disturbance and ask you to predict the receptor, control center, effector and compensating response.
389 words, about 2 min