Vocabulary Flashcards
Reflex
A rapid, automatic response to a stimulus
Efferent Nerve Fibers
Also described as motor nerve fibers, carry impulses away from CNS
Afferent nerves
Nerves that carry impulses toward CNS
Oligodendrocytes
Responsible for myelination of nerve fibers in the CNS
Schwann Cells
Responsible for myelination of nerve axons in the PNS
Axon
Part of neuron that conducts impulses away from cell body
Neurotransmitter
Substances released at axon terminals to propagate a nervous impulse
Hypothalamus
Part of the brain that is the main visceral control center of the body, including body temperature and sleep-waking cycle
Cerebellum
Part of the brain that is responsible for smooth, coordinated movements
Arbor vitae
White matter in the cerebrum looks like a tree
Sulcus
Shallow groove on the surface of the cortex
Gyrus
A ridge on the surface of the cortex
Syncope
Brief loss of consciousness
Sleep apnea
Temporary cessation of breathing during sleep
Memory
The storage and retrieval of information
Sympathetic divison
Know as the “Flight or Flight” system
Parasympathetic division
Known as the “rest and digest” system
Vitreous humor
Clear gel that fills the posterior segment of the eye
Fovea centralis
Area of greatest visual acuity, contains only cones
Rods
Dim-light and peripheral vision receptors
Cones
Bright light and high-resolution color vision receptors
Otoliths
Ear stones, help monitor equilibrium
Taste buds
Sensory organs for taste
Oxytocin
Strong stimulant of uterine contractions
Antidiuretic hormone
Promotes reabsorption of water from kidney tubules
Growth hormone
Tissue building hormone that promotes growth
Follicle-stimulating hormone
Stimulates production of gametes
Prolactin
Stimulates milk production
Thyroid hormone
Made of two iodine-containing hormones
Leptin
Secreted by adipocytes, suppresses appetite
Erythropoietin
Stimulates production of red blood cells
Glucagon
The effect is to raise blood glucose levels
Insulin
Effect is to lower blood glucose levels
Erythrocyte
Transports carbon dioxide and oxygen
Basophil
Has dark straining granules,releases histamine & heparin
Monocyte
Largest WBC, crucial in defense against viruses
Fibrinogen
Forms the structural framework of a blood clot
Albumin
Major contributor to plasma osmotic pressure
Hemoglobin
A protein that binds easily and reversibly to oxygen
Leukemia
A cancerous condition involving white blood cells
Anemia
Condition in which blood has low O2 carrying capacity
Hemoglobin F
A special type of hemoglobin in fetal red blood cells
Endocardium
Inner lining of the heart
Mitral Valve
AV valve with two flaps
Myocardium
Heart muscle
Tachycardia
Abnormally fast heart rate
Ischemia
Heart muscle is deprived of oxygen
Spleen
Largest lymphoid organ, RBC ‘graveyard’
Cytotoxic T cells
Kills cancer and virus-infected body cells
B cells
Forms antibody-producing cells
IgG
Antibody that can cross placental barrier and mother’s milk
Pathogens
Harmful or disease-causing microorganisms
Nasal septum
Divides the nasal cavity
Oropharynx
Common passageway for food and air
Epiglottis
A flap that closes trachea during swallowing
Glottis
Collective name for vocal folds and medial opening
Tidal Volume
Amount of air exchanged during normal breathing
Peristalsis
Wavelike smooth muscle contractions
Lingual frenulum
Fold of mucosa that secures tongue to floor of mouth
Bolus
Compact mass of chewed food mixed with saliva
Halitosis
Clinical term for bad breath
Rennin
Enzyme that coagulates milk protein
Acrosome
contain digestive enzymes that break down the outer membrane of the ovum allowing haploid cells to combine
Areola
lightly pigmented area around each nipple
Autosomes
any chromosome that’s not a sex chromosome
Corpus luteum
a hormone-secreting structure that develops in an ovary after an ovum has been discharged but degenerates after a few days unless pregnancy has begun
Ductus deferens
tiny muscular tube in the male reproductive system that carries sperm from the epididymis to the ejaculatory duct
Epididymis
a highly convoluted duct behind the testis, along which sperm passes to the vas deferens.
Gametes
a mature haploid male or female germ cell
Glycogen
a substance deposited in bodily tissues as a store of carbohydrates. It is a polysaccharide that forms glucose on hydrolysis
IgE
antibodies produced by the immune system. If you have an allergy, your immune system overreacts to an allergen by producing antibodies called Immunoglobulin E
Lymph
a colorless fluid containing white blood cells, that bathes the tissues and drains through the lymphatic system into the bloodstream.
Peyer’s patches
are small masses of lymphatic tissue found throughout the ileum region of the small intestine
Platelets
a small colorless disk-shaped cell fragment without a nucleus, found in large numbers in blood and involved in clotting
Residual volume
the volume of air still remaining in the lungs after the most forcible expiration possible
Seminal glands
a pair of simple tubular glands posteroinferior to the urinary bladder
Spermiogenesis
the final stage of spermatogenesis was is seeds the maturing of spermatids into mature, motile spermatozoa
Stratum functionalis
a thick superficial layer that is shed off during menstruation and grows anew each cycle
Type II alveolar cells
cover a small fraction of the alveolar surface area. Their function is of major importance in the secretion of pulmonary surfactant, which decreases the surface tension
