Vertebrate Anatomy 2

What is an organ system?

Group of organs in the body that work together to accomplish specific functions

What are the 3 primary systems?

• muscular

• respiratory

• digestive

What is the primary function of the muscular system?

movement of the skeleton

Skeletal muscles are bound to bones by:

tendons

What causes body movement?

contraction of skeletal muscles

What is the primary function of the respiratory system?

gas exchange

What does the respiratory system do to air?

it filters, moistens, and warms air before it reaches the alveoli

What is alveoli?

tiny air sacs found in the lungs where gas exchange occurs

Filtering, moistening, and warming the air before it reaches the alveoli does what?

it increases efficacy of gas exchange between the lungs and blood

What is efficacy?

the ability to perform a task to a satisfactory or expected degree

What is the function of the digestive system?

breakdown of food mechanically and enzymatically

The digestive system breaks food down into:

small enough pieces to be absorbed by the GI tract

Digestion doesn’t occur in a single step, it requires:

multiple highly specialized digestive organs

What are the parts of the thoracic cavity?

• submandibular glands

• thyroid

• larynx

• trachea

• lungs

• thymus gland

• esophagus

What is the pectoralis major in rats?

large, fan-shaped muscle located on the ventral (front) side of the thorax

Where is the pectoralis major muscle?

below the chin on the underside

What is the biceps brachii?

muscle located on the anterior (front) surface of the upper forelimb

What is the triceps brachii?

large muscle located on the dorsal (back) side of the upper forelimb (arm) in rats

What is the latissimus dorsi?

broad, flat, sheet-like muscle located on the dorsal (back) and lateral (side) surfaces of the thorax in rats

What is the gluteus maximus?

muscle of the hip and upper thigh region

What is the biceps femoris?

broad muscle located on the posterior (back) and lateral side of the thigh in rats

What is the submadibular glands?

major salivary glands found along the base of the mandible & secrete saliva to aid in chemical digestion of food in the mouth

What is the thyroid?

brown, butterfly-shaped glans below larynx

What does the hormone regulation for metabolism and blood chemical levels for bone strength?

thyroid gland

What is the larynx?

contains the vocal cords & the air conducting passageway

What is the trachea?

right after the laynx, also an air conducting passageway

What are the lungs?

terminate into tiny alveoli; place for gas exchange

What is the thymus gland?

the immune system organ just above the heart

What does it mean if the thymus gets smaller?

it atrophies

What happens when the thymus gets smaller?

it gets replaced by fat tissue

What is the esophagus?

muscular tube that conducts food from the pharynx to stomach

What is the stomach?

place for mechanical and chemical digestion of food

What is the small intestine?

completes food digestion & is the primary site of nutrient absorption

What is the large intestine?

absorption of water and vitamin synthesis

What is the initial segment of the large intestine?

cecum

What is the terminal regions of the large intestine?

rectum

What are the parts of the abdominal cavity?

• stomach

• small intestine

• large intestine

• liver

• spleen

• pancreas

What is the liver?

large, dark brown, multi-lobe organ found below the diaphragm, bile synthesis, detoxification, glycogen storage

What is the spleen?

dark brown organ connected to the stomach, stores blood, blood cell removal & destruction

What is the pancreas?

light brown, flat organ below the stomach; secretion of digestive enzymes, buffer, and hormones

What begins chemical digestion in the stomach?

the pepsin enzyme

What does pepsin break down?

proteins