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Body Systems Vocab
Science Vocabulary
Term | Definition |
---|---|
cell differentiation | the process by which cells become different types of cells. |
tissue | a group of similar types of cells that work together to carry out specific tasks. |
organ | a group of different tissues working together to perform a particular job. |
organ system | a group of organs that work together and perform a specific task. |
muscle | strong body tissue that can contract in an orderly way. |
joint | where two or more bones meet. |
ligament | the tissue that connects bones to other bones. |
hydrostatic skeleton | a fluid-filled internal cavity surrounded by muscle tissue. |
exoskeleton | a thick, hard outer covering; protects and supports an animal’s body. |
cardiac muscle | muscle found only in the heart. |
smooth muscle | involuntary muscle named for its smooth appearance. |
Calorie | the amount of energy it takes to raise the temperature of 1 kg of water by 1°C. |
nutrient | a part of food used by the body to grow and survive. |
digestion | the mechanical and chemical breakdown of food into small particles and molecules that your body can absorb and use. |
mechanical digestion | a process in which food is physically broken into smaller pieces. |
chemical digestion | a process in which chemical reactions break down pieces of food into small molecules. |
esophagus | a muscular tube that connects the mouth to the stomach. |
peristalsis | waves of muscle contractions that move food through the digestive tract. |
villus | fingerlike projections, many of which cover the folds of the small intestine. |
excretory system | the system that collects and eliminates wastes from the body and regulates the level of fluid in the body. |
photosynthesis | a series of chemical reactions that convert light energy, water, and carbon dioxide into the food-energy molecule glucose and give off oxygen. |
vascular tissue | specialized plant tissue composed of tubelike cells that transports water and nutrients in some plants. |
xylem | a type of vascular tissue that carries water and dissolved nutrients from the roots to the stem and the leaves. |
phloem | a type of vascular tissue that carries dissolved sugars throughout a plant. |
stoma | a small opening in the epidermis, or surface layer, of a leaf. |
pharynx | a tubelike passageway at the top of the throat that receives air, food, and liquids from the mouth or nose. |
trachea | a tube that is held open by C-shaped rings of cartilage; connects the larynx and the bronchi. |
bronchi | two narrow tubes that carry air into the lungs from the trachea. |
lungs | the main organs of the respiratory system. |
diaphragm | a large muscle below the lungs that contracts and relaxes as air moves into and out of your lungs. |
alveoli | microscopic sacs or pouches at the end of the bronchioles where gas exchange occurs. |
atria | the upper two chambers of the heart. |
ventricles | the lower two chambers of the heart. |
artery | a vessel that carries blood away from the heart. |
vein | a vessel that carries blood toward the heart. |
capillary | a tiny blood vessel that delivers supplies to an individual cell and takes away waste materials. |
open circulatory system | a system that transports blood and other fluids into open spaces that surround organs in the body. |
closed circulatory system | a system that transports materials through blood using vessels. |
nervous system | the part of an organism that gathers, processes, and responds to information. |
neuron | the basic functioning unit of the nervous system; a nerve cell. |
central nervous system | system made up of the brain and the spinal cord. |
spinal cord | a tubelike structure of neurons that sends signals to and from the brain. |
peripheral nervous system | system made of sensory and motor neurons that transmit information between the central nervous system (CNS) and the rest of the body. |
sensory system | the part of your nervous system that detects or senses the environment. |
receptor | special structures in all parts of the sensory system that detect stimuli. |