click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
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 that work together |
| Organ System | A group of organs that work together to perform a major function |
| Gland | an organ that produces and releases chemicals either through ducts or into the blood stream |
| Hormone | (1) the chemical produced by an endocrine (2) a chemical that affects growth and development |
| Stress | the reaction of a person's body to potentially threatening, change 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 from the glands in the mouth that play an important role in mechanical and chemical digestion |
| Enzymes | Proteins that speed up chemical reactions |
| 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;reduce in size |
| Artery | A blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart |
| Vein | A blood vessel that carries blood 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 to the lungs |
| alveoli | tiny thin-walled sacs of lung tissue specialized for the moment of gases between air and blood |
| excretion | the process of moving waste |
| nephron | small filtering structure in the kidneys that removes waste 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 in the body |
| spinal cord | thick column of nervous tissue the 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 it produces |