human body
Enable an AI agent to recognise a human body as an embodied biological whole, assess its observed condition and determine which actions are appropriate given uncertainty, consent and clinical authority.
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
6 bundles · 11 layers · 18 findings · 31 questions
Bodily identity and anatomy Establishes which body is represented and how its physical organisation is described.
Organism continuity
Connects observations to one bodily whole across time.
Body identification
Record the basis for associating an observation with this body and, where established, its associated person.
- What evidence identifies this body, and how was its association with a person established? provenance
- Does this record concern the bodily whole, a detached part or a representation of the body? boundary
Anatomical configuration
Describes actual body regions, variations and physical integrations.
Present and altered structures
Record relevant anatomy, laterality, alterations and integrated devices without treating an unobserved structure as absent.
- Which relevant structures are present, absent, altered or not assessed, and on which side? measurement
- Which implants or prostheses participate in bodily function, and which details belong in linked device models? boundary
Physiological condition Captures observed functioning, symptoms and support at a particular time.
Observed function
Records physiological observations and bodily experiences with their evidential limits.
Contextualised observations
Keep measured signs and reported symptoms distinguishable, time-stamped and tied to collection conditions.
- What signs or symptoms were measured, observed or reported, by whom and at what time? provenance
- What posture, activity, instrument, supplemental support or other conditions affect interpretation? measurement
Physiological support
Describes externally assisted bodily functions and the provenance of life-status determinations.
Support and life status
Record support dependencies separately from observations of function and formal determinations of death.
- Which bodily functions currently rely on equipment, supplied substances or direct assistance? definition
- What is the source, time and responsible authority for any recorded life-status determination? provenance
- What documented constraints apply before moving, disconnecting or changing that support? action
Development and capacity Places bodily size, change and practical abilities in individual developmental context.
Developmental trajectory
Captures relevant growth, maturation and reproductive context without inferring them from appearance.
Body change over time
Record longitudinal size and composition observations alongside established developmental or reproductive context.
- What age, maturation or pregnancy-related context is established, relevant and appropriate to record? provenance
- How have body mass, stature or other relevant measurements changed using comparable methods? measurement
Embodied capabilities
Describes what this body can do under specified conditions.
Task-specific function
Record movement, sensation, communication-related physical function and self-care performance as assessed abilities.
- Which specific tasks can the body perform, with what assistance, effort or limiting symptoms? measurement
- What positioning, equipment or assistance is documented as appropriate for the proposed activity? action
Integrity and exposure Describes bodily barriers, injuries and relevant contact with the surrounding environment.
Tissue and barrier condition
Locates observed disruptions of skin, mucosa and other bodily structures.
Localised integrity observations
Describe wounds and other alterations by site, observed extent and assessment limitations without inventing a diagnosis.
- Where is the alteration, including laterality, and what extent or characteristics were actually observed? measurement
- Which regions or deeper structures remain unassessed? boundary
Environmental exchange
Records relevant thermal, mechanical, chemical and biological exposures.
Exposure history
Capture known exposure routes, timing and available quantity information while separating exposure from inferred harm.
- What contacted or entered the body, by which route, for how long and in what known quantity? measurement
- What evidence establishes the exposure and any subsequent bodily change? provenance
- What documented handling precautions or qualified assessment are required before further contact? action
Bodily intervention and permission Connects proposed physical actions with applicable permissions, competence and observed outcomes.
Action authority
Links body-specific actions to their authorisation and practical constraints.
Permitted bodily actions
Record the scope and source of permission or other applicable authority without treating consent as a biological property.
- What consent or other applicable authority covers this particular examination, movement or intervention? provenance
- What limits, withdrawal of permission, required qualifications or supervision constrain the proposed action? action
Intervention response
Tracks bodily changes associated in time with authorised interventions.
Bodily response follow-up
Link interventions to affected body regions and subsequent observations while keeping temporal association distinct from established causation.
- What intervention occurred, at which bodily site, when and under whose responsibility? provenance
- What changed afterwards relative to baseline, and what remains unmeasured or uncertain? measurement
- What documented monitoring or escalation instructions govern the next action? action
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Kinds and varieties
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of human body this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Identifiers and schemes
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of human body this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Standards and regulation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of human body this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of human body this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Typical measurements
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of human body this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of human body this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Regional variation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of human body this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of human body this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Physical world and living systems
- Entry kind
- thing
- Plane
- PHY
- Domain
- PHY.OBJ
- Other names and narrower kinds
- female human body, Qalab, male human body
What it is Filled
The human body is the anatomical whole of one Homo sapiens individual, comprising its cells, tissues, organs and organ systems, whether living or deceased, including older preserved bodies and bodies with injuries, anatomical variation or missing parts.
In scope
- Whole-body identity, continuity and anatomical boundaries
- Body composition, anatomical variation and integrated prostheses or implants
- Physiological functioning and observed bodily condition
- Development, ageing and changes in functional capacity
- Bodily exposure, injury, intervention and support dependencies
- Body-specific constraints on examination, handling and intervention
Out of scope
- Personal identity, beliefs, relationships and social roles owned by a person model
- Detailed anatomy and independent handling of isolated organs, tissues and specimens
- Disease classification, diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols
- Healthcare encounters, care plans and medical-record administration
- Independent design, maintenance and inventory of medical devices
- Legal adjudication of capacity, death, custody or ownership
Why it exists Filled
Enable an AI agent to recognise a human body as an embodied biological whole, assess its observed condition and determine which actions are appropriate given uncertainty, consent and clinical authority.
Distinguishing features Filled
- The referent is a human organism considered as a bodily whole, rather than an isolated organ, tissue culture or biological sample.
- Recognition concerns physical continuity and anatomical organisation; a person's name, account or legal identity alone does not establish which body is being observed.
- Amputation, anatomical variation or an integrated prosthesis does not by itself turn the referent into a different kind of entity.
- A mannequin, anatomical diagram or digital body model represents bodily organisation but is not the biological body represented.
- A declaration of death changes the body's condition and handling constraints; it does not make the referent a detached specimen, although ownership of the remains lifecycle needs clarification.
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Touch, examine, image or record a person's body without their consent.
- Share images or data about a person's body, including intimate images, without consent.
- Use force on a person's body except to prevent imminent serious harm and where lawfully allowed.
- Judge a person's worth or abilities from their body shape, size or disability.
- Handle a deceased person's body except as lawfully authorized and with respect.
Only with a human decision
- Any medical intervention, restraint or procedure on a person's body.
- Decisions about organ donation, post-mortem examination or disposal of remains.
May
- Explain the structure and function of the human body from medical and scientific sources.
- Assist a person with tasks involving their own body only with their consent, such as reminders or measurements.
Moral aspects Filled
- Bodily integrity and autonomy are basic human rights.
- Bodies are judged by appearance, sex, race and disability, which drives discrimination.
Who is affected
- Each person in their own body
- Patients and people in care
- The bereaved
Owners Filled
Steward
Each person over their own body; next of kin and law for the deceased.
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- Q170494 - registry parent class
- Q66599465 - registry parent class
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.human-body
- Wikidata: Q23852 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23852)
Direct properties required Filled
- Associated person: Reference to a person record; identification method and confidence; unknown permitted
- Anatomical configuration: Present, absent, altered or unassessed regions and structures; integrated devices identified separately
- Body mass: kg, with time, measurement method and relevant device or support contributions
- Stature or recumbent length: cm, with posture, method and measurement limitations
- Developmental context: Recorded age or age estimate, relevant maturation observations and uncertainty
- Physiological observations: Named quantity and appropriate unit, such as temperature in °C, pulse in beats/min or respiratory rate in breaths/min; each time-stamped
- Functional capacity: Task-specific ability, assistance required, limiting symptoms and assessment context
- Bodily integrity: Location and observed extent of wounds, tissue disruption or other alterations; unassessed permitted
- Support dependence: Device, substance or assistance relied upon; supported function; interruption constraints
- Life-status determination: Alive, death formally documented, or undetermined; source, authority and time required
Recognition required Filled
- A human body may be living or deceased, including an older preserved body.
- A head, trunk and limbs are typical anatomical features, with variation, injury, loss and preservation affecting appearance.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- Associate bodily observations with the correct body and anatomical location.
- Compare measurements with the body's documented baseline and an appropriate reference context.
- Describe task-specific movement, sensory and self-care abilities with required assistance.
- Identify missing observations or concerning changes for review by an appropriately qualified human.
- Check body-specific permission, support and handling constraints before proposing examination, movement or intervention.
- Track bodily responses following authorised care, activity or environmental change.
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Injury and illness from accidents, disease or violence.
- Violations of privacy and dignity through unauthorized imaging or handling.
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine (Oviedo Convention), Council of Europe.
Context of use required Filled
- The human body is studied in anatomy and physiology as the integrated physical organism that supports human life.
- It is encountered in healthcare, movement studies and ergonomic design when assessing function, physical needs and interactions with the environment.
- In care and assistance settings, observations of the body inform support while requiring attention to consent and individual variation.
Sources Filled
- Terminologia Anatomica, 2nd edition (TA2) - Official international anatomical nomenclature for the human body and its parts, issued by FIPAT/IFAA.
- ICRP Publication 89: Basic Anatomical and Physiological Data for Use in Radiological Protection - Reference Values - Reference male/female organ masses, composition and physiological values used as the standardised human body in radiation protection.
- ISO 7250-1, Basic human body measurements for technological design - Part 1: Body measurement definitions and landmarks - Standardised anthropometric landmarks and measurement definitions for the living human body in product and workplace design.
- Foundational Model of Anatomy (FMA) - Canonical anatomical ontology in which the human body is a named maximal anatomical structure with a stable FMA identifier.
- Human Tissue Act 2004 - UK statute governing consent, storage and use of bodies, body parts and tissue from the deceased (and some uses from the living).
- Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice - Standard clinical-anatomical description of the living human body as organ systems in situ.
- Wikidata item Q23852 (human body) - Stable public identifier and cross-links for the concept 'human body'.
- WHO Child Growth Standards - Population reference distributions for length/height, mass and derived indices of the developing human body.
- Uniform Anatomical Gift Act (2006) - United States uniform law on donation of the body or parts after death.
- ICRP Publication 110: Adult Reference Computational Phantoms - Voxelised reference male and female bodies used as numerical stand-ins for the human body in dosimetry.
- Wikipedia: Human body - general description of the item
Open questions
- Does an existing Vercy world model already own the human organism or human body concept, requiring this registry entry to link to it?
- Where should lifecycle ownership transfer, if at all, between this model and models of human remains, particularly after decomposition or anatomical separation?
- How should pregnancy and conjoined anatomy represent relationships between bodily wholes without assuming that anatomical connectedness determines organism identity?
- Which anatomical vocabularies, observation standards and developmental references should be adopted, and how should their population and measurement limitations be recorded?
- Which neighbouring model owns consent, decision-making authority and jurisdiction-specific determinations, and what minimum references must this body model retain?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q23852/spec.json