PoHS Ch. 17 Vocab

absorption

the act of taking up a substance into a tissue, such as the movement of nutrients from the small intestines into the bloodstream

digestion

term for the mechanical and chemical breakdown of food into nutrients that can be absorbed and used by the body

excretion

the removal of waste products from the body

filtration

the process of separating substances, such as solid from liquid, large from small, or impure from pure

gametes

reproductive cells that have half the normal number of chromosomes and unite during fertilization; sperm in males and ova in females

heredity

the passing of traits (such as eye color, height, and some diseases) from parent or ancestor to offspring through chromosomes

ingestion

the stage of digestion in which food is taken into the body through the mouth

meiosis

the sexual process of cell division that produces four new haploid cells, each with a unique combination of 23 chromosomes

mitosis

the asexual process of cellular reproduction that creates two identical copies of a cell, each with a full set of 46 chromosomes

nutrients

molecules such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals used by the body to grow and maintain body processes

reabsorption

the act of returning a substance to the part of the body from which it was previously filtered out

secretion

the release of a liquid substance from blood, cells, or tissues