 | Term | Definition |
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Cardiovascular system |
The body system that consists of the heart, blood vessels, and blood. The purpose of the cardiovascular system is to carry needed substances to cells and carries water products away from cells. |
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Heart |
A hollow, muscular organ that pumps blood throughout the body. |
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Capillaries |
Tiny blood vessels where substances are exchanged between the blood and the body cells. |
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Vein |
Blood vessels that carry blood back to the heart. |
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Arteries |
Blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. |
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Platelet |
A cell fragment that plays an important part in forming blood clots. |
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Plasma |
The liquid part of blood, making up about 55% of the total volume. It carries many things around the body, including glucose, fats, vitamins, minerals, proteins, and wastes such as carbon dioxide. |
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Red blood cell |
Cells in the blood that pick up oxygen in the lungs and deliver it to the cells. They also pick up some carbon dioxide produced by the cells and carry it back to the lungs, where it is released from the body. They are mostly made of hemoglobin. They have no nuclei. |
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White blood cell |
Cells that fight disease. Some of them alert the body that it has been invaded. Others produce chemicals to fight the invaders. Still others surround and kill the organisms. White blood cells have nuclei. |
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Respiratory system |
The body system that consists of the nose, pharynx, epiglottis, larynx, trachea, bronchi, and lungs. Its purpose is to move oxygen from the outside environment into the body. It also removes carbon dioxide and water from the body. |
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Alveoli |
Tiny sacs of lung tissue specialized for the movement of gases between the air and the blood. |
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Trachea |
The windpipe; a passage through which air moves in the respiratory system. |
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Diaphragm |
A large, dome-shaped muscle that plays an important role in breathing. |
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Digestive System |
The body system that consists of the mouth, epiglottis, salivary gland, esophagus, liver, stomach, gallbladder, pancreas, large intestine, small intestine, rectum, and anus. Its function is to break down food into molecules that the body can use. |
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Esophagus |
A muscular tube that connects the mouth to the stomach. |
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Absorption |
The process by which nutrient molecules pass through the wall of the digestive system into the blood. |
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Diffusion |
The process by which molecules move from an area in which they are highly concentrated to an area in which they are less concentrated. |
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Peristalsis |
Involuntary waves of muscle contraction that keep food moving along in one direction through the digestive system. |
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Digestion |
The process by which the body breaks down food into small nutrient molecules. |
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Respiration |
The process in which oxygen and glucose undergo a complex series of chemical reactions inside cells. |
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Breathing |
The process by which oxygen is taken in through the lungs and carbon dioxide is released out from the lungs. |
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Tissue |
A group of similar cells that perform the same function. |
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Organ |
A structure in the body that is composed of different kinds of tissue. |
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Organ System |
A group of organs that work together to perform a major function in the body. |
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Cell |
The basic unit of structure and function in a living thing. |
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Cell organelle |
The tiny parts which make up a cell and carry out specific functions in the cell. |
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Aorta |
The largest artery in the body. |
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Septum |
The piece of cartilage separating the two sides of the nose. |
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Left Atrium |
The upper left chamber of the heart, where oxygenated blood is received from the pulmonary vein and then sent on to the left ventricle. |
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Left Ventricle |
The lower left chamber of the heart, where oxygenated blood is received from the left atrium and then pumped out through the aorta toward the body. |
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Right Atrium |
The upper right chamber of the heart, where deoxygenated blood is received from the vena cava and then sent to the right ventricle. |
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Right Ventricle |
The lower right chamber of the heart, where deoxygenated blood is received from the right atrium and then pumped out through the pulmonary artery toward the lungs. |
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Villi |
Tiny finger-shaped structures that cover the inner surface of the small intestine and provide a large surface area through which digested food is absorbed. |
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Digestive tract |
The organs through which food passes during the process of being digested. These include the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus. |
