Option D: Human Physiology

A-Band

The strand that appears dark in the cardiac muscle and the length remains unchanged during muscle contraction.

Albumin

Binds to bilirubin to allow for excretion.

Amino Acids

Carbon atom bonds to 4 different things: amine group, carboxyl group, a hydrogen atom, an R group which is just represented by an R; there are 20 main ones.

Anorexia

It is a complex psychiatric illness caused by voluntary starvation and loss of body mass; signs can include hair falling out, dry skin, and loss of period.

Apical Surface

The surface of the villi facing the lumen.

Arteriosclerosis

The development of fatty tissue called atheroma is usually caused by high blood pressure, glucose levels or consumption of trans fats and can lead to angina, stroke, kidney disease, or aortic aneurysm.

Artificial Pacemaker

A small, battery-operated device that senses when the heart is beating irregularly.

Atrioventricular Node (AV)

Passes the nerve impulses to the ventricles causing them to contract; signal from SA to AV is delayed for about 0.12s which allows atria to contract and empty the blood they contain before the ventricles contract.

Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)

System that controls body processes that are not under our conscious control including the digestive system by using hormones released by glands in the body

Basal Surface

The surface of the villi facing the blood vessels.

Blood Plasma

The pale yellow liquid component of blood that make up 55% of the body's total blood volume; they are up to 95% water and 6-8% dissolved proteins.

Blood Pressure

The measure of the force of blood against the blood vessels; arterial blood tends to have the most pressure followed by the capillaries then the veins; has two values, the systolic pressure (larger number), and the diastolic pressure (smaller number).

Bradycardia

A condition where the heart beats too slowly.

Bundle of His

A collection of gear muscle cells specialized for electrical conduction that transmit electrical impulses from the AV node to the point of the heart apex by the bundle branches.

Calorimetry

A method used to determine the energy content of a substance; a piece of food is heated and the amount of heat absorbed or released is measured.

Cardiac Cycle

The events related to the flow of blood that occurs from the beginning of one heartbeat and can be measured by heart rate; repeating actions in the heart which pumps the blood throughout the body.

Cardiac Muscle

Involuntary muscles located around the heart which appear branched and striated.

Cholera

An infection of the small intestine caused by strains of vibrio cholerae categorized by large amounts of watery diarrhea lasts a few days; can lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, leading to the efflux of Cl and HCO3 ions.

Coronary Thrombosis

Occurs when a blood clot is formed in the blood vessels of the heart and can occur due to arteriosclerosis.

Defibrillation

A process in which an electronic device gives an electric shock to the heart which helps to re-establish normal contraction rhythms in a heart having arrhythmia or in cardiac arrest.

Diastole

The heart releases and blood flows into all four chambers, the bicuspid and tricuspid valves are open; blood pressure is reduced causing the semilunar valves to close causing a dub sound.

ECG

Measures the voltage given off by the SA and AV nodes of the heart.

Egestion

The act of excreting unusable or undigested material from a cell such as fibre which cannot be broken down.

Endocrine Glands

Glands that secrete directly into the bloodstream.

Essential Fatty Acids

Refers to omega-3 and 6.

Essential Minerals

These are essential minerals needed in small quantities and usually in ion form, deficiency can be serious.

Essential Nutrients

These cannot be replaced or synthesized by the body and must be take in by diet such as water, vitamins A, C, D.

Exocrine Glands

Glands that secrete their product into ducts and tare made up of numerous endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, and a large number of secretory vesicles.

GLO Gene

Ths codes for the production of the enzyme L-gulonolactone which synthesizes ascorbic acid.

Helicobacter Pylori

A recently discovered bacteria that is believed to be the contributing factor in the development of ulcers and is also associated with stomach cancer.

Heme Group

Can be broken down into iron and bilirubin.

Hemoglobin

The oxygen binding protein in RBC, assembled from 4 globular protein subunits.

Hepatic Artery

Brings oxygen rich blood from the aorta to the liver.

Hepatic Portal Vein

Brings blood from the stomach and intestine rich in nutrients from digested food.

Hepatic Vein

Takes blood from the liver back to the heart.

Hydrochloric Acid

Made of hydrogen and chlorine atoms, main component of gastric juice in the stomach, produced by parietal cells in the gastric glands and denatures proteins.

Hypertension

This occurs when blood pressure is higher than average and can lead to aneurysm, stroke, and kidney failure.

I-Band

The strand that appears light in the cardiac muscle and its length shortens during muscle contraction.

Iron

The 26th element on the periodic table, essential for RBCs hemoglobin structure but can be toxic, is transported by protein transferrin, and stored as ferritin in bone marrow if there is an excess.

Jaundice

A condition where the skin and the whites of the eyes turn yellow and is caused by the presence of bilirubin.

Kupffer Cells

Macrophages that line the liver and engulf red blood cells.

Kwashiorkor

This is a disease caused by a lack of essential amino acids due to low protein intake with the most notable symptom being edema.

Liver

An organ that process nutrients from food, makes bile, remove toxins from the body and build proteins, plays a vital role in the regulation of glucose, processes lipids in one form and releases them in other forms, and breaks down nitrogenous waste.

Nonessential Nutrients

Can be replaced or synthesized by the body and are not necessary in the diet such as cholesterol and carbs.

Obesity

Caused by being a much higher weight than average and can lead to type 2 diabetes and hypertension.

P Wave (ECG)

The voltage given off by the SA and AV nodes of the heart.

Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS)

This system is responsible for stimulating digestion by increasing blood flow to the digestive tract; stimulates salivary gland secretion and increases peristalsis.

Pepsin

An enzyme produced in the stomach which can cleave the exposed bonds into polypeptides; activated by chief cells as inactive pepsinogen.

Phenylalanine Hydroxylase

The enzyme that turns phenylalanine into tyrosine by attaching a hydroxyl group to the phenylalanine.

Phenylketonuria (PKU)

It is an inherited, progressive, degenerative disease where there is a mutation on chromosome 12 and results in the inability to process phenylalanine into tyrosine and can lead to decreased mental development if not treated.

Plasma Cholesterol

Can be HDL (not harmful) or LDL (plaque-forming, retains cholesterol in the body).

Point Q (ECG)

The AV node sends its impulse.

Proton Pump Inhibitor Medication

This is medication available to reduce the amount of stomach acid produced by turning off proton pumps.

Purkinje Fibres

They provide electrical conduction to the ventricles, causing the cardiac muscle of the ventricles to contract.

QRS Complex (ECG)

The impulse form the AV node spreads down the conducting fibres and out of the Purkinje fibres (ventricular systole).

Red Blood Cells (RBC)

They carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body through the bloodstream; the average lifespan of a RBC is 120 days.

Scurvy

This disease is caused by a deficiency of ascorbic acid (vitamin C).

Sinoatrial Node (SA)

Acts as a pacemaker and sets a rhythm of about 72 beats per minute (bpm); signal contracts only the atria and is passed to the AV node which spreads through the Purkinje fibres, contracting the AV nodes.

Sinusoids

These divide the hepatic portal vein, they are wider than capillaries and they merge venules that lead to the hepatic vein and allows blood flowing through to contract liver cells and proteins can enter and leave the blood.

Skeletal Muscle

Voluntary muscles located around the skeleton which appear tubular and striated.

Smooth Muscle

Involuntary muscles located around internal organs which appear spindly and non-striated

Starvation

Caused by a severe lack of essential and nonessential nutrients; when that happens, the body will access glycogen stores before breaking down muscle and sometimes cardiac tissue.

Stethoscope

Invented by Renee Laennec in 1819, and used to litem to the heart; its invention led to improved knowledge of the workings of the chest.

Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS)

This system is responsible for the fight or flight response in the body; provides more energy to muscles when we are scared and increases heart rate.

Systole

The ventricles contract, blood is forcefully expelled and heart blood pressure is increased causing the bicuspid and tricuspid valves to shut which causes the lub sound.

T Wave (ECG)

The AV node is repolarizing.

Tachycardia

A condition where the heart beats too quickly.

Villi

Small vascular, fingerlike projections in the small intestine that increase the surface area of epithelium over which absorption is carried out; tight junctions ensure that material passes into blood vessels of the villi and not between cells.

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)

This vitamin is needed to make collagen and is essential in some animals including humans.

Vitamin D

This vitamin, necessary for calcium absorption the intestines, is synthesized by the skin when light strikes the skin and deficiency occurs if there isn't sun or intake in the diet.

Vitamins

These are organic compounds needed in very small amounts and they serve as cofactors (helper cells), anti-oxidants, and hormones.

William Beaumont

Known as the father of gastric physiology and proved that digestion in the stomach involved chemical action by using an exposed stomach wound to study the process of digestion.

Acid Reflux

The backward flow of stomach acid into the esophagus and can cause heartburn.

Apex

The base of the heart where the contraction of the ventricle begins.

Cardiology

The study of the heart.

Conditionally Essential

Organic compounds that are ordinarily produced by the body in amounts sufficient to meet its physiological requirements except in times of stress where their biosynthesis may be inadequate.

Erythrocyte

Another name for a red blood cell.

Ferritin

Excess iron that is stored in the bone marrow.

Filopodia

Long arm-like extensions in Kupffer cells.

Hepatocytes

They cells in the liver that produce plasma proteins.

Myofibril

A basic rod-like organelle of a muscle cell that performs muscle contraction.

Transferrin

The protein bound to iron, can transfer iron.