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Biology Digestive
Vocabulary words for the digestive system for CNA Students
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Absorption | the transfer of nutrients from the intestines to the cells. |
Anatomy | the study of body structure. |
Biology | the study of all life forms. |
Body systems | groups of organs that perform specific functions in the human body. |
Bowel elimination | the physical process of releasing or emptying the colon or large intestine of solid waste, called stool or feces. |
Cells | the basic structural units of all organisms. |
Chyme | semi-liquid substance made as a result of the chemical breakdown of food in the stomach. |
Colon | the large intestine. |
Colostomy | surgically-created opening through the abdominal wall into the large intestine to allow feces to be expelled. |
Constipation | the inability to eliminate stool, or the infrequent, difficult, and often painful elimination of hard, dry stool. |
Crohn’s disease | a disease that causes the lining of the digestive tract to become inflamed (red, sore, and swollen). |
Defecation | the process of eliminating feces from the rectum through the anus. |
Diarrhea | frequent elimination of liquid or semi-liquid feces. |
Digestion | the process of converting food so that it can be absorbed into the blood and used by body tissues. |
Diverticulitis | inflammation of sacs that develop in the wall of the large intestine due to diverticulosis. |
Diverticulosis | a disorder in which sac-like pouchings develop in weakened areas of the wall of the large intestine (colon). |
Duodenum | the first part of the small intestine, where the common bile duct enters the small intestine. |
Electrolytes | chemical substances that are essential to maintaining fluid balance and homeostasis in the body. |
Elimination | the process of expelling wastes. |
Enema | a specific amount of water, with or without an additive, introduced into the colon to stimulate the elimination of stool. |
Fecal impaction | a mass of dry, hard stool that remains packed in the rectum and cannot be expelled. |
Fecal incontinence | an inability to control the muscles of the bowels, which leads to an involuntary passage of stool or gas. |
Feces | solid body waste excreted through the anus from the large intestine; also called stool. |
Flatulence | air in the intestine that is passed through the rectum; also called gas or flatus. |
Fracture pan | a bedpan that is flatter than a regular bedpan; used for small or thin people or those who cannot lift their buttocks onto a standard bedpan. |
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) | a chronic condition in which the liquid contents of the stomach back up into the esophagus. |
Gastrointestinal tract | a continuous tube from the opening of the mouth all the way to the anus, where solid wastes are eliminated from the body. |
Heartburn | a condition that results from a weakening of the sphincter muscle that joins the esophagus and the stomach; also known as acid reflux. |
Hemorrhoids | enlarged veins in the rectum that can cause itching, burning, pain, and bleeding. |
Homeostasis | the condition in which all of the body’s systems are balanced and are working at their best. |
Ileostomy | surgically-created opening into the end of the small intestine, the ileum, to allow feces to be expelled. |
Ingestion | the process of taking food or fluids into the body. |
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) | a chronic condition of the large intestine that is worsened by stress. |
Malabsorption | a condition in which the body cannot absorb or digest a particular nutrient properly. |
Occult | hidden. |
Organ | a structural unit in the human body that performs a specific function. |
Ostomy | surgical creation of an opening from an area inside the body to the outside. |
Pathophysiology | the study of the disorders that occur in the body. |
Peristalsis | muscular contractions that push food through the gastrointestinal tract. |
Physiology | the study of how body parts function. |
Portable commode | a chair with a toilet seat and a removable container underneath that is used for elimination; also called bedside commode. |
Specimen | a sample, such as tissue, blood, urine, stool, or sputum, used for analysis and diagnosis. |
Stoma | an artificial opening in the body. |
Stool | solid body waste excreted through the anus from the large intestine; also called feces. |
Suppository | a medication given rectally to cause a bowel movement. |
Tissues | a group of cells that performs similar tasks. |
Ulcerative Colitis | a chronic inflammatory disease of the large intestine. |
Ureterostomy | a type of urostomy in which a surgical creation of an opening from the ureter through the abdomen is made for urine to be eliminated. |
urostomy | any surgical procedure that diverts the passage of urine by redirecting the ureters. |