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Human Body Systems
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Tissue | a group of similar cells that perform a specific function |
Organ | a body structure that is composed of different kinds of tissues |
Organ system | a group of organs that wok together to perform a major function |
Gland | an organ that produces and releases chemicals either through ducts or into the bloodstream |
Hormone | 1) the chemical produced by an endocrine gland. 2) a chemical that affects growth and development. |
Stress | the reaction of a person's body to potentially threatening, challenging, or disturbing events |
Interactions | the direct effect that one thing has on another |
Stable | resistant to sudden change |
Digestion | the process by which your body breaks down food into small nutrient molecules |
Nutrients | the substances in food that provide the raw materials the body's cells need to carry out all their essential processes |
Absorption | the process by which nutrient molecules pass through the wall of the digestive system into the blood |
Carbohydrates | a energy rich organic compound such as sugar or starch, that is made of the elements carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen |
Peristalsis | waves of smooth muscle contractions that move food through the esophagus toward the stomach |
Saliva | fluid released through the glands in the mouth that play an important role in mechanical and chemical digestions |
Enzymes | proteins that speed up chemical reactions in the body |
Elimination | act of removal of materials from the body |
Circulatory System | an organ system that transports needed materials to cells and removes waste |
Contract | to draw together; to reduce in size |
Artery | a blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart |
Vein | a blood vessel that carries blood back to the heart |
Capillary | a tiny blood vessel where substances are exchanged between the blood and body cells |
Lymph | fluid that travels through the lymphatic system consisting of water, white blood cells, and dissolved materials |
Bronchi | the two passages that direct air into the lungs |
Alveoli | tiny thin-walled sacs of lung tissue specialized for the movement of gases between air and blood |
Execretion | the process of moving wastes |
Nephron | small filtering structure in the kidneys that removes wastes from blood and produces urine |
Neuron | a cell that carries information through the nervous system |
Synapse | the junction where one neuron can transfer an impulse to another neuron |
Impulse | the message carried by a neuron |
Brain | the part of the central nervous system that is located in the skull and controls most functions of the body |
Spinal cord | thick column of nervous tissue that links the brain to most of the nerves that branch out through the body |
Reflex | automatic response that occurs without conscious control through the somatic nervous system |
Negative feedback | the process by which a system is turned off by the condition that it produces |