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Unit 15
| 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 | Semiliquid 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 semiliquid 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 diverticulitis. |
| 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 re essential to maintaining fluid balance and homeostasis in the body, |
| Elimination | The process of expelling waste. |
| Enema | A specific amount of water or other fluid, 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. |
| Gerd | A chronic conditions 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 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. |
| Jaundice | A condition in which the skin, whites of the eyes, and mucus membranes appear yellow. |
| 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 the 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. |
| Rectal suppository | A medication in a cylindrical shape that is given rectally to cause a bowel movement. |
| 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. |
| Tissues | A group of cells that performs similar tasks. |
| Ulcerative colitis | A chronic inflammatory disease of the large intestine. |
| Urostomy | Surgical creation of an opening for the passage of urine. |