Anatomy and Physiology Vocab
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Created by:
hannaheh905067 on December 9, 2011
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Chapters 1-4, Part 1
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133 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Abdominal cavity | The space bounded by the abdominal walls, diaphragm, and pelvis and containing most of the organs of digestion, the spleen, the kidneys, and the adrenal glands |
| Abdominopelvic cavity | The body cavity made up of the abdominal cavity and the pelvic cavity |
| Anatomical position | The erect position of the body with the face directed forward, the arms at the side, and the palms of the hands facing forward, used as a reference in describing the relation of body parts to one another |
| Anatomy | the science of the structure of living organisms |
| atoms | the smallest part of an element; indivisible by ordinary chemical means |
| cardiovascular system | organ system that distributes blood to all parts of the body |
| cells | the basic biological unit of living organisms, enclosed by a limiting membrane; cells in more complex organisms contain a nucleus and a variety of organelles |
| control center | the operational center for a group of related activities |
| coronal section | a cross-section attained by slicing, actually or through imaging techniques, the body or any part of the body or any anatomic structure in the coronal or frontal plane, in a vertical plane perpendicular to the median or sagittal plane |
| cranial cavity | the space or hollow within the skull |
| cross section | a section made by a plane cutting anything transversely, especially at right angles to the longest axis |
| diaphragm | a muscle that separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominopelvic cavity |
| digestion | the body process of breaking down foods chemically and mechanically |
| digestive system | system that processes food into absorbable units and eliminates indigestible wastes |
| dorsal body cavity | the body cavity situated near the back of the human body, and includes the cranial cavity and vertebral cavity |
| effector | an organ, gland, or muscle capable of being activated by nerve endings |
| endocrine system | body system that includes internal organs that secrete hormones |
| excretion | the elimination of waste products from the body |
| frontal section | a section of the head or other body part cut into anterior and posterior portions |
| homeostasis | a state of body equilibrium or stable internal environment of the body |
| integumentary system | the skin and its accessory organs |
| irritability | ability to respond to a stimulus |
| lymphatic system | the lymphatic vessels, and the lymphoid tissues and organs including lymph nodes |
| median section | a cross section attained by slicing in the median plane |
| mediastinum | the region of the thoracic cavity between the lungs |
| metabolism | the sum total of the chemical reactions that occur in the body |
| midsagittal section | specific sagittal plane that lies exactly at the midline |
| movement | the act process, or result of moving |
| muscular system | organ system consisting of skeletal muscles and their connective tissue attachments |
| negative feedback mechanisms | feedback that causes the stimulus to decline or end |
| nervous system | fast-acting control system that employs nerve impulses to trigger muscle contraction or gland secretion |
| organ | a part of the body formed of two or more tissues that performs a specialized function |
| organ system | a group of organs that work together to perfrm a vital body fuction |
| organism | an individual living thing |
| pelvic cavity | the cavity of the pelvis comprising in humans a broad upper and a more contracted lower part |
| physiology | the science of the functioning of living organisms |
| plane | a flat or level surface |
| positive feedback mechanisms | feedback that tends to cause a variable to change in the same direction as the initial change; enhances the stimulus |
| receptor | a peripheral nerve ending specialized for response to particular types of stimuli |
| reproduction | the natural process among organisms by which new individuals are generated and the species perpetuated |
| reproductive system | organ system that functions to produce offspring |
| responsiveness | the ability to sense changes (stimuli) in the environment and then to react to them |
| sagittal section | a longitudinal (vertical) plane that divides the body or any of its parts into right and left portions |
| skeletal system | system of protection and support composed primarily of bone and cartilage |
| spinal cavity | the opening that runs through the center of the column of spinal bones (vertebrae), and through which the spinal cord passes |
| thoracic cavity | the part of the ventral body cavity between the neck and the diaphragm |
| tissues | a group of similar cells specialized to perform a specific function; primary tissue types are epithelial, connective, muscle, and nervous tissues |
| transverse section | a cross section obtained by slicing, actually or through imaging techniques, the body or any part of the body structure, in a horizontal plane, a plane that intersects the longitudinal axis at a right angle |
| urinary system | system primarily responsible for water, electrolyte, and acid-base balance and the removal of nitrogen-containing wastes from the blood |
| ventral body cavity | the body cavity situated near the front of the human body, and consists of the thoracic cavity and abdominopelvic cavity |
| acid | a substance which liberates H ions when in an aqueous solution |
| ATP | the compound that is the important intracellular energy source; cellular energy |
| amino acids | an organic compound containing N, C, H, and O; the building block of protein |
| atomic mass | the sum of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom |
| atomic number | the number of protons in an atom |
| atoms | the smallest part of an element; indivisible by ordinary chemical means |
| base | a substance that accepts H ions; proton acceptor |
| buffer | a substance that helps to stabilize the pH of a solution |
| carbohydrate | organic compounds composed of C, H, and O |
| chemical reaction | process in which molecules are formed, changed, or broken down |
| compound | substance composed of two or more different elements, the atoms of which are chemically united |
| covalent bonds | a bond involving the sharing of electrons between atoms |
| decomposition reaction | a destructive chemical reaction in which complex substances are broken down into simpler ones |
| dehydration synthesis | process by which a larger molecule is synthesized from smaller ones by removal of a water molecule at each site of bond formation |
| deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) | nucleic acid found in all living cells; carries the organism's hereditary information |
| electrolytes | a substance that breaks down into ions when in solution and is capable of conducting an electric current |
| electron shells | orbits around the nucleus occupied by electrons |
| electrons | negative subatomic partacle |
| element | any of the building blocks of matter |
| energy | the ability to do work |
| enzyme | a substance formed by living cells that acts as a catalyst in a chemical reactions in the body |
| exchange reaction | a chemical reaction in which bonds are made and broken |
| Hydrogen bonds | weak bond in which an H atom forms a bridge between two electron hungry atoms |
| hydrolosis | water is used to split a substance into smaller particles |
| inorganic compound | a compound that lacks C |
| Ionic bonds | bond formed by complete transfer of electrons from one atom to another |
| ions | an atom with a charge |
| isotopes | different atomic form of the same element |
| lipids | organic compound formed of C, H, and O |
| matter | anything that occupies space and has mass |
| molecules | particle consisting of multiple atoms held together by chemical bonds |
| neutralization reaction | reaction that occurs between and acid and base |
| neutrons | uncharged subatomic particle |
| neucleic acids | includes DNA and RNA |
| organic compounds | a compound containing C |
| pH | H ion concentration |
| protein | a complex nitrogenous substance |
| protons | subatomic particle that bears a positive charge |
| radioactivity | the process of spontaneous decay seen in some of the heavier isotopes, during which particles or energy is emitted from the atomic nucleus |
| radioisotopes | isotope that exhibits radioactive behavior |
| RNA | the nucleic acid that contains ribose |
| solute | the dissolved substance in a solution |
| solution | a homogenous mixture of multiple components |
| solvents | substance that the solute is dissolved in |
| synthesis reaction | larger molecules are formed from simpler ones |
| valence shell | the outermost energy level of an atom that contains electrons |
| active transport | transport of a substance (as a protein or drug) across a cell membrane against the concentration gradient |
| anaphase | the stage of meiosis or mitosis when chromosomes move toward opposite ends of the nuclear spindle |
| anticodon | group of three bases on a tRNA molecule that are complementary to an mRNA codon |
| cell division | the process in reproduction and growth by which a cell divides to form daughter cells |
| centromere | a specialized condensed region of each chromosome that appears during mitosis where the chromatids are held together to form an X shape |
| chromatid | one of two identical strands into which a chromosome splits during mitosis |
| codons | a specific sequence of three adjacent bases on a strand of DNA or RNA that provides genetic code information for a particular amino acid |
| concentration gradient | the greater the difference in concentration between two areas |
| cytokenesis | the division of the cytoplasm during the proceses of cell division |
| simple diffusion | movement from a high concentration area to a low concentration area, only works with oily substances, needs to cross oily cell membrane (nonpolar substances), no energy is required |
| endocytosis | process by which a cell takes material into the cell by infolding of the cell membrane |
| enzymes | proteins that act as biological catalysts |
| exocytosis | process by which a cell releases large amounts of material |
| filtration | the passage of a solvent and dissolved substances through a membrane or filter |
| gene | biological units of heredity located in chromatin |
| hypertonic solution | a solution in which the concentration of solutes is greater than that of the cell that resides in the solution |
| hypotonic solution | a solution that is below normal tone or tension |
| interphase | period of the cell cycle between cell divisions |
| interstitial fluid | the fluid between cells |
| intercellular fluid | the fluid inside the cell |
| isotonic solution | a solution in which the concentration of solutes is essentially equal to that of the cell which resides in the solution |
| metaphase | second phase of mitosis, during which the chromosomes line up across the center of the cell |
| mitosis | cell division in which the nucleus divides into nuclei containing the same number of chromosomes |
| mitotic spindle | An assemblage of microtubules and associated proteins that is involved in the movements of chromosomes during mitosis. |
| osmosis | diffusion of water through a selectively permeable membrane |
| passive transport process | occurs when a substance moves down its concentration gradient to cross a membrane without the use of cellular energy (ATP) |
| phagocytosis | the ingestion of solid particles into cells |
| pinocytosis | the engulfing of extracellular fluid by cells |
| pressure gradient | difference in hydrostatic fluid pressure that drives filtration |
| prophase | first and longest phase of mitosis, during which the chromosomes become visible and the centrioles separate and take up positions on the opposite sides of the nucleus |
| receptor-mediated endocytosis | main cellular mechanism for taking up target molecules |
| RNA | the nucleic acid that contains ribose |
| telophase | the final stage of mitosis, during which a nuclear membrane forms around each set of new chromosomes |
| transcription | (genetics) the organic process whereby the DNA sequence in a gene is copied into mRNA |
| translation | the language of nucleic acid is "translated" to proteins |
| triplet | each three-base sequence specifying a particular amino acid on the DNA gene |
| vesicular transport | Transport of large particles, macromolecules, and fluids across plasma membrane. This requires cellular energy (ATP) |
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