PT: Week 2 Body Systems Vocab

Anatomy

the study of body structure

Antigen

A substance that is capable of causing the production of an antibody

Autoimmunity

A misdirected immune response that happens when the body attacks itself

Deoxygenated blood

Blood containing a low concentration of oxygen and high concentration of carbon dioxide

Diastole

Occurs when the heart muscle is relaxed, and the chambers are filling with blood, the pressure is at the lowest point in a normal heart

Digestion

The process whereby ingested food is broken up into smaller molecules by chemical or mechanical means

Endocrine

Relates to glands that secrete hormones or other substances directly into the bloodstream.

Endocrine glands

glands that have no ducts; their secretions are absorbed directly into the blood

Enzymes

specific proteins within the body that act as catalysts to increase the efficiency of different bodily processes, such as digestion

Gonads

Reproductive organs; testes in the male, and ovaries in the female. Gonads function to produce reproductive cells and sex hormones

Homeostasis

the physical process of the human body being able to regulate and maintain balance between body systems

Hormone

A chemical substance produced in the body that controls and regulates the activity of certain cells or organs/ Usually, it is a chemical made by a gland for export to another part of the body; it is not active at its site of synthesis

Neuron

The basic unit of the nervous system (nerve cell)

Oxygenated Blood

Blood containing a high concentration of oxygen and a low concentration of carbon dioxide

Pathophysiology

Unhealthy function in an individual body system or an organ due to a disease

Perception

The mental process of becoming aware of or recognizing an object or idea

Peristalsis

Waves of involuntary muscular contractions in the digestive tract. In the stomach, this motion mixes food with gastric juices, turning it into a thin liquid called chyme.

pH

the hydrogen ion concentration in a solution/ fluid. The lower the pH, the more acidic the solution and the greater the hydrogen ion concentration; a pH of 7.4 is considered normal for blood.

Phagocytosis

The process in which one cell ingests the contents of another cell.

Physiology

The study of how living organisms function normally, including processes, such as nutrition, movement, and reproduction

Receptors

A structure on the surface of a cell (or inside a cell) that selectively receives and binds a specific substance.

Secrete

To form and give off

Systole

Occurs when the heart muscle is contracting and ejecting blood from the chambers of the heart; the pressure is at the highest point in a normal heart