Anatomy and Physiology Key Terms

A comprehensive vocabulary review of introductory anatomy and physiology terms covering anatomical orientation, joint classifications, blood vessels, digestive processes, and immune mechanisms.

active immunity

Natural acquisition of an illness, resulting in the body developing the antibodies to protect a person from getting it again.

anatomical position

The body standing erect, with the feet shoulder-width apart, face forward, arms at the sides, and palms of the hands facing forward.

arteries

Blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart.

arteriole

The smallest branch of an artery.

ball-and-socket joints

Joints that allow movement in all directions. They are made up of the rounded end of one bone and the hollow end of another bone. The rounded end of one fits into the hollow end of the other.

capillaries

The smallest form of blood vessels and the site of nutrient, gas, and waste exchange between cells and the bloodstream.

cartilage

Connective tissue that cushions the joint so that bone ends do not rub together.

cell

The basic functional unit of body structure and function.

chemical digestion

The chemical breakdown of food into small nutrient parts that the body can absorb and utilize.

condyloid joint

A joint formed when the oval articular surface of one bone fits into the oval depression of the second articulating bone, such as at the wrist and the knuckles at the base of the fingers.

deep

Away from the surface or further into the body.

digestion

The process of physically and chemically breaking down food into nutrients that can be absorbed for use by the cells.

gliding joint

A joint between two corresponding flat bones held in place by ligaments that glide past one another in any direction along the plane of the joint-up and down, left and right, or diagonally. This movement ensures the bones have limited but complex gliding movements. Gliding joints are found in the wrist, ankle joints, and the vertebral column.

hemoglobin

The substance in red blood cells that carries oxygen and gives blood its colour.

hinge joints

Joints that allow movement in one direction around a single axis (e.g., elbow joint).

homeostasis

A steady state or stable internal environment maintained when all of the organ systems in the human body work together.

hormone

A chemical substance produced by the cells of specialized glands and secreted into the bloodstream.

immunity

Protection against a disease or condition.

inferior

Situated below another structure or toward the lower part of the body.

isotonic solution

The solution of $0.09\%$ NaCl (sodium chloride or salt) and water which makes up all the entire body's cells and bodily fluids.

mastication

The first step of digestion in which food is bitten, chewed, crushed, and ground by the teeth and muscles of the jaw.

mechanical digestion

Physically breaking down large food particles into smaller pieces.

menstruation

The process in which the lining of the uterus breaks up and is discharged from the body through the vagina.

metabolism

The chemical processes carried out by the cells of the body that create and use energy and produce cellular waste products as a result.

midline

An imaginary line that divides the body into right and left sides.

nonspecific immunity

The body's reaction to anything it does not recognize as a normal body substance.

organs

Structures made of different tissues that are arranged to perform a specialized function.

organ systems

Organs that work together to perform special functions.

passive immunity

A short-lived immunity passed from mother to fetus through the placenta and from the mother to the baby through breast milk.

peripheral

Away from the centre of the body.

peristalsis

The smooth muscle contraction that involuntarily pushes food forward in the digestive tract in one direction in a wavelike motion.

pivot joints

Joints that allow turning from side to side.

saddle joint

Joints that allow for a wide range of motion between two articulating saddle-shaped bones, such as at the base of the thumb.

secretion

The release of a substance either into or out of the body after normal body functions.

specific immunity

The ability of an organism to resist or overcome an infection or illness against a certain disease or infection caused by a pathogen or antigenic substance.

superficial

Near the surface of the body.

superior

Situated above another structure or toward the upper part of the body.

tissue

A group of similar cells with a common function.

veins

Blood vessels that carry blood back to the heart.

venules

The smallest form of veins. The venules drain blood from the capillaries and come together to form the veins.