Unit B - Body Works (Vocab) Flashcards
Impaired
Diminished, damaged, or weakened in a way that functioning becomes poor or ceases
Cardiovascular system
Closed circulatory system, characteristic of vertebrates, that includes one or more hearts and a branching network of arteries, capillaries and veins
Cell
The smallest structural unit enclosed by a membrane that makes up all living organisms
Digestive system
An integrated system consisting of specialized organs responsible for the ingestion, digestion and absorption of food
Excretory system
An integrated system consisting of specialized organs responsible for the removal of excess or harmful solutes, waste products and excess water.
Function
The specialized activities performed by a system, organ, body part or device
Muscular system
The system of muscles that help various parts of the body to move
Nervous system
The body organ system in animals that coordinates and controls the actions of internal organs and body systems by receiving and processing sensory information from the external environment, and coordinating short-term reactions to these stimuli
Organ
A collection of tissues which performs a particular function or set of functions
Reproductive system
The system of organs and structures necessary for sexual activity and the production of offspring
Respiratory system
The system of organs that work together to take oxygen into the body and to remove carbon dioxide from the body
Skeletal system
The organ system consisting of bones, cartilage, ligaments and tendons that provide a rigid, supportive and protective structure for an organism
Structure
The way that an organ or body part is made up, including its shape and the types of tissues or other substructures that form it
System (body system)
A group of organs that work together to perform a specific function
Tissue
A group of similar cells and cellular material that perform a particular function
Regulate/regulation
The process of keeping chemicals and conditions in the body balanced
Toxin
A chemical produced by one organism that is harmful to another organism
Chemical breakdown
The breaking up of larger molecules into smaller ones through the action of chemicals
Mechanical breakdown
The purely physical process of breaking down larger substances into smaller pieces without changing the chemical composition of the substance
Surface area
The part of a structure that is exposed
Absorb
To take in or soak up
Absorption
The process of taking in or soaking up
Cross-section
A type of representation that shows what a view would look like when cutting through an object
Nutrients
Chemicals that an organism takes in from its environment to use as a source of energy or in promoting growth
Bone
The hardened connective tissue that forms the skeleton in most invertebrates
Cartilage
Tough white fibrous connective tissue that is flexible and resists compression
Joint
A junction between two or more bones, usually allowing some form of motion
Ligament
A band of dense connective tissue that bridges a joint by connecting the bones together
Musculoskeletal system
The muscular and skeletal systems working together to provide structure and support to the body and to help the body move
Tendon
A strip of connective tissue that connects muscle to bone
Indicator
A chemical that indicates the presence, absence or concentration of a particular substance
Pulse
Rhythmic stretching of arteries caused by blood being forced through the arteries by contractions of the heart
Atrium (atria)
One of the two upper chambers in the human heart that receives blood returning from the body or lungs
Arteries
Branching system of large diameter, muscular blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. They carry oxygen-poor blood away from the heart to the lungs and oxygen-rich blood to body tissues
Blood vessels
Tubular structures that carry blood throughout the body, consisting of veins, arteries and capillaries
Capillaries
Narrow blood vessels with thin walls through which gases and other fluids are able to pass
Valves
Structures that allow fluids to flow only in one direction.
Veins
Blood vessels that carry blood from the capillaries back to the heart
Ventricle
The large, lower chambers of the heart that pump blood
Blood pressure
The pressure exerted by blood against the walls of the blood vessels, generated by contractions of the heart
Coronary arteries
The arteries that supply blood to the tissues of the heart
Risk factors
Factors that increase the chance of something negative happening
Voluntary
A type of action that is under the control of the individual. One that can be done differently, or stopped, if the individual chooses to do so
Esophagus
Tube surrounded by muscle where food goes down
