Cat Organs/Structures Functions Pt1 Flashcards
Accessory organ
Helps in the process of digestion.
Adrenaline
- Increase heart rate
- Boosts energy
- Prepares body to respond to stress or danger
Adrenal glands
Produce corticosteroids that help manage stress and maintain water and electrolyte balance in the body.
Alimentary canal
Breaks down food, absorbs nutrients, eliminates waste, and supports the immune system.
Artery
Carries oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the rest of the body.
Anus
Where waste leaves the body.
Bicornuate
A uterus with two horns, allowing cats to carry multiple kittens at once.
Bulbourethral gland (Cowper’s gland)
produces a fluid to lubricate the urethra and neutralize acidic urine before sperm passes through.
Bronchi
Carries air from the windpipe (trachea) into the lungs for breathing.
Cecum
Absorbs water and electrolytes, helps digest food with microbes, and mixes contents with mucus.
Cervix
A barrier between the uterus and vagina, protecting the uterus and allowing passage of kittens during birth.
Cortex
Filters blood and helps produce urine.
Colon (lg intestine)
Absorbs water, processes waste, and prepares it to be eliminated from the body.
Common bile duct
Carries bile from the liver and gallbladder to the small intestine to help digest fat.
Cystic duct
Transport bile, form the common bile duct, and aid in digestion.
Diaphragm
Helps with breathing by moving up and down to allow air into and out of the lungs.
Duodenum
Food mixes with digestive juices from the liver and pancreas to break it down.
Epiglottis
prevents food and liquids from going into the windpipe by covering it when swallowing.
Epididymis
stores and helps sperm mature before it is released during mating.
Esophagus
moves food from the mouth to the stomach through a series of muscle contractions.
Fallopian tube (oviduct, uterine tube)
carries eggs from the ovaries to the uterus and is where fertilization by sperm usually happens.
Gallbladder
stores bile, which helps digest fats in the food.
Gestation
period of pregnancy when kittens develop inside the mother’s uterus.
Gubernaculum
helps guide the testes from the abdomen to the scrotum during development.
Hard and soft palate
Hard: helps with chewing and separates the mouth from the nasal cavity.
Soft: helps with swallowing and prevents food from entering the nasal passage.
Heart
pumps blood throughout the body, delivering oxygen and nutrients to organs and tissues.
Hepatic duct
Transport bile from the liver to the gallbladder.
Ileum
absorbs nutrients from digested food and passes any leftover material to the large intestine.
Ileocecal valve
controls the flow of digested food from the small intestine into the large intestine and prevents backflow.
Jejunum
Helps absorb nutrients from the food as it moves through the small intestine.
Kidney
filter waste from the blood, produce urine, and help maintain water and electrolyte balance in the body.
Larynx
produces sound (meowing or purring) and helps control airflow to the lungs during breathing.
Liver
processes nutrients, produces bile for digestion, stores energy, and detoxifies harmful substances in the body.
Lungs
take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide when the cat breathes.
Medulla
controls basic life functions like heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure.
Mesentery
supports and holds the small intestine in place while also supplying it with blood vessels.
