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Chapter 9: The human Body: Structure and Functioning

Terms in this set (19)

Anatomy
The study of body structure
Physiology
The study of how living organisms function normally, including such processes as nutrition, movement, and reproduction
Pathophysiology
Unhealthy function in an individual body system or an organ due to a disease
Systole
When the heart music is contracting and ejecting blood from the chambers of the heart; the pressure is at the highest point in a normal heart
Diastole
When the heart muscle is relaxed and the chambers are filling with blood; the pressure is at the lowest point in a normal heart
Sphygmomanometer
An instrument for measuring blood pressure. Sphygmomanometer are available as a mercury column, a gauge with a dual face, and an electronic device with a digital display. A sphygmomanometer consists of a measuring unit attached to a cuff that is wrapped around the upper arm and inflated to constrict the arteries.
Secrete
To form and give off
pH
The hydrogen ion concentration in a solution/fluid. The lower the pH, the more acidic the solution and the greater the hydrogen ion concentration; a pH of 7.4 is considered to be normal for blood
Tolerance
A state of unresponsiveness to a specific antigen or group of antigens to which a person is normally responsive. Immune tolerance is achieved under conditions that suppress the immune reaction and is not just the absence of an immune response.
Antigen
A substance that is capable of causing the production of an antibody
Autoimmunity
A misdirected immune response that happens when the body attacks itself.
Digestion
The process whereby ingested food is broken up into smaller molecules by chemical or mechanical means.
Peristalsis
Waves of involuntary muscular contractions in the digestive tract. In the stomach, this motion mixes food with gastric juices, turning it into a thin liquid called chyme.
Perception
The mental process of becoming aware of or recognizing an object or idea.
Receptors
A structure on the surface of a cell (or inside a cell) that selectively receives and binds a specific substance.
Gonads
Reproductive organs; testes in the male, and ovaries in the female. Gonads function to produce reproductive cells and sex hormones.
Endocrine
The internal secretion of substances into the systemic circulation (bloodstream)
Endocrine glands
Glands that have no ducts; their secretion are absorbed directly into the blood.
Hormone
A chemical substance produced in the body that controls and regulates the activity of certain cells or organs. Usually, it is a chemical made by a gland for export to another part of the body; it is not active at its site of synthesis.
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