Print › MJE- A&P200 - Chpt 19 - Definitions

Abdominal: Contains most of the gastrointestinal tract as well as the kidneys and adrenal glands. Is bound cranially by the diaphragm, laterally by the body wall, and caudally by the pelvic cavity.
Abdominopelvic: The lower part of the ventral cavity. It can be further divided into two partions: the abdominal portion and the pelvic portion.
Active Transport: Process in the cells that requires energy to transport material to, from, and within the cell.
Anatomical Position: Standing, feet together, arms at sides, palms of hands, head and eyes facing forward.
Anatomy: Study of the structure of an organism.
Anus: Opening at end of digestive track that allows stool to leave the body.
Arteries: Transport blood away from the heart.
Arterioles: Transport blood from arteries to capillaries. Main regulators of blood flow and pressure.
Atom: The smallest chemical unit of matter.
Axial Plane: A horizontal plane; divides the body or any of its parts into upper and lower parts.
Bladder: Expandable muscular sac that holds the urine until full then a signal is sent to the brain.
Bone marrow: In large bones produces new blood cells.
Bones: Makes up the body skeletal system and protects internal organs. Constantly produces blood cells to replenish dying blood cells.
Brain: Responsible for thinking and control center for rest of body. It reviews all stimuli from the internal organs, surface of the body, nose, mouth, eyes, ears and is constantly reacting to these stimuli.
Bronchi/Bronchus: Is where the air is sent to each lung.
Bronchioles: Smaller airways that send the air on to the inside walls of the lungs allowing oxygen to be absorbed by the blood cells and to oxygenate the blood for transfer throughout the body.
Capillaries: Exchanges oxygen, carbon dioxide, water, salts and etc. between the blood and surrounding tissues.
Cardiac Muscle: Is found only in the heart and is responsible for pumping blood.
Cavities: Spaces within the body that contains the internal organs or viscera.
Cell: Most basic units of life, described as the basic building blocks of the human body.
Cell Membrane: Protects the cell from the outside environment and regulates the movement of water, nutrients and wastes into and out of the cell.
Cervix: Secretes a mucus that is impermeable to sperm until just before ovulation when the consistency of the mucus changes allowing the sperm to be able to swim through it and fertilization can occur.
Cilia: Small hair like projections in the nose that increases the surface area of a cell. Helps trap foreign matter to prevent it from entering nasal cavity.
Coronal Plane: A verticle plane running from side to side; divides the body or any of its parts into anterior and posterior portions.
Cytokinesis: The separation of the cytoplasm into two parts.
Cytoplasm: Basically the substance that fills the cells.
Dermis: Sustain and support the epidermis by providing nutrients and replacing shed skin cells. Second layer of skin that contains hair follicles, sweat glands, oil glands, blood vessels, nerve endings and touch receptors. Sweat glands help to keep body cool.
Diaphram: A dome-shaped respiratory muscle that divides the ventral cavity into two parts.
Distal: Away from or farthest from the trunk or the point or origin of a part.
DNA: The genetic code that coordinates protein synthesis.
Dorsal: The smaller of the two main cavities. As its name implies, it contains organs lying more posterior in the body. Can by divided into two portions. The upper portion, or the cranial cavity, houses the brain, and the lower portion, or vertebral canal houses the spinal cord.
Electrolyte: Medical/scientific term for salts, specifically an ion that is electrically charged and moves to either a negative (cathode) or positive (anode) electrode.
Epidermis: Very top layer of skin, it is waterproof and provides protection for underlying skin and remainder of body. Protects from suns harmful rays and also has touch receptors that provides information to the brain out the surrounding environment. Helps prevent bacteria, viruses and other foreign material from entering body.
Epiglottis: Small flap of tissue that covers the entrance of the larynx to prevent food and drink from entering, but opens to allow for breathing.
Esophagus: Connects the throat with the stomach. Channels food and liquids to the stomach both by gravity and muscle constrictions.
Fallopian tubes: Carries the egg from the ovaries to the uterus.
Gallbladder: Stores bile and concentrate
Genetics: The study of the makeup of animals or plants.
Heart: Pumps oxygen rich blood to every cell in the body.
Homeostasis: Result of an organism's systems working together to maintain balance or equilibrium by adjusting for constant changes.
Joints: Joints are the junction between two or more bones allowing large and complex range of motion. Some joints do not move such as those found in the skull.
Kidneys: Continuously produces urine.
Large Intestine: Secretes mucus, absorption of water and excretion of solid waste material.
Larynx: The part of the respiratory tract between the pharynx and the trachea .
Liver: Processes the blood leaving the stomach and intestines. Breaks down nutrients and drugs in the blood making it easier for the rest of the body to use.
Lungs: Takes in oxygen (O2) and gets rid of carbon dioxide (CO2)
Lymph: Aids in the absorbtion of nutrients and helps remove waste from tissue.
Lysosomes: Organelles that contain enzymes that aid in digestion of nutrient molecules and other materials.
Meiosis: Two-part cell division process in organism's that reproduce sexually that results in gametes with one-half the number of chromosomes on the parent cell.
Mitochondrion: Important cellular organelle. Often referred to as the power plants of a cell because many of the reactions that produce energy take place here.
Mitosis: Nuclear division plus cytokinesis, or the actual cellular division that produces two identicle daughter cells, during prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase.
Molecule: Smallest part of a substance called a compound that can still be considered that substance.
Mouth: Entrance to both digestive and respiratory systems.
Mouth: The entrance to both digestive and respiratory systems.
Nerves: Cable like bundles of axons. They are part of the peripheral nervous system that is responsible for voluntary movements of skeletal muscles and controls the self-regulated action of internal organs and glands.
Nose: Main passage way for getting air into the lungs. It also warms, moistens and cleans the air.
Nucleus: The center part of a cell containing the cells DNA.
Organelles: Small structures that help carry out the day-to-day operations of a cell.
Organs: Groups of tissues that serve a common purpose or function.
Ovaries: Female reproductive organ responsible for producing eggs.
Pancreas: Produces digestive enzymes and hormones.
Parotid, Sublingual, and Submandibular Glands: Produces saliva which aids in breaking down food in the digestive process.
Passive Transport: Process in cells that does not require energy to transport materials to, from, or within the cell. Passive transport mechanisms include diffusion, osmosis, filtration.
Pathophysiology: Study of diseases or disorders caused by a malfunction or by aging.
Pelvis: Contains most of the urogenital system as well as the rectum. The pelvic cavity is bounded cranially by the abdominal cavity, dorsally by the sacrum and laterally by the pelvis.
Penis: External sexual organ and also serves as the external organ for urination.
Physiology: Study of the function of the organism.
Pineal gland: Produces melatonin.
Pituitary glands: Controls the function of most other endocrine glands.
Plasma: Carries blood cells and also contains salts and minerials like calcium, sodium, magnesium, and potassium. Also carries antibodies to attack germs and bacteria.
Platelets: Along with other substance will form clots to stop bleeding.
Prostate gland: Stores and secretes a clear, seminal fluid that, along with spermatozoa, constitutes semen. Contains some smooth muscles that help expel semen during ejaculation.
Proximal: Toward or nearest the trunk or the point of origin or a part .
Rectum: Normally empty until colon becomes full and stool passes into rectum causing the urge to defecate.
Red Blood Cells: Travels through body delivering oxygen and removing waste.
Ribosome: Participate in protein synthesis. An important cellular organelle.
RNA: A single chain of chemical bases important for protein synthesis.
Sagittal Plane: A verticle plane running from front to back; divides the body or any of its parts into right and left parts.
Selective Permeability: The attribute of a cell membrane that allows certain substances to enter the cell while preventing other substances from doing so.
Seminal vesicles: Used for storing semen.
Skeletal Muscle: Are responsible for movement and posture. Controlled by brain and are considered voluntary muscles because they operate with our awareness.
Small Intestine: Is where most of the digestion process occurs. Most food products are absorbed in the small intestine.
Smooth Muscle: Are considered involuntary muscles, meaning they work without us being aware. Controlling internal organs, and movement of food through the intestinal tract.
Spinal cord: Transmission of neural impulse from periphery nervous system to and from the brain.
Spleen: Destroys old blood cells and holds a reservoir of blood.
Stomach: Upper part is storage area for food and lower part mixes food with acid and enzymes to break food down into more easily digested sizes.
Subcutaneous tissue: Layer of fat that helps to insulate and regulate body temperature. Also provides cushion for underlying tissue from bumping into objects.
System: A group of organs that work together to perform a specific function.
Tendons and ligaments: Attach muscle to end of bone.
Testes: Male reproductive organ responsible for producing sperm and sex hormones.
Thoracic: Consists of the upper ventral, or chest cavity and contains the heart, lungs, trachea, esophagus, large blood vessels, and nerves.
Throat: Fluids and foods pass through the throat after leaving the mouth.
Thymus: Stimulates the production of certain infection fighting cells.
Thyroid gland: Determines how quickly the body burns energy and makes protein.
Tissue: A grouping of cells that performs a specialized function. There are four types of tissue in the body: epithelial, connective, muscle and nerve.
Trachea: Conducts air between larynx and primary bronchi.
Ureters: Carries urine from kidneys to the bladder.
Urethra: Drains urine from the bladder out of the body. During ejaculation sperm is carried along with semen through the urethra.
Uterus: Sustains a developing fetus.
Vagina: Allows sperm to enter body, and helps protect internal genital organs from infectious organisms.
Vasa deferentia: During ejaculation the smooth muscles of the vasa deferentia propels the sperm forward into the urethra.
Veins: Transports blood to heart.
Ventral: The larger cavity and is subdivided into two parts (thoracic and abdominopelvic cavities) by the diaphragm, a dome-shaped respiratory muscle.
Venules: Drains blood from capillaries into veins for return to heart.
White Blood Cells: Produce protective antibodies to attack germs and some will surround and devour the bacteria.