Organs and Definitions

Tongue / Salivary Glands

Help chew and start digestion with saliva.

Pharynx

Connects mouth to esophagus.

Papillae (taste buds)

Sense taste.

Soft palate / Hard palate

Separate mouth from nasal cavity; help with swallowing.

Esophagus

Moves food to stomach.

Stomach

Breaks down food with acid.

Liver

Makes bile to digest fat.

Small Intestine

Absorbs nutrients - helps with digestion.

Duodenum

Mixes food with bile and enzymes - helps with digestion.

Ileum (Jejunum)

Absorbs nutrients from food.

Large Intestine (colon)

Absorbs water from food; forms poop.

Cecum

Helps digest plants.

Gallbladder / Bile duct

Stores and sends bile to small intestine.

Pancreas

Makes enzymes and insulin.

Pyloric Sphincter / Cardiac Sphincter

Control food going in/out of stomach; pyloric ensures food goes to small intestine, cardiac prevents food from going back into stomach.

Mesentery

Holds intestines in place.

Rectum

Stores poop.

Anus

Releases poop.

Diaphragm

Muscle that helps with breathing (main muscle for inhaling and exhaling).

Trachea

Windpipe - connects larynx to lungs.

Cartilaginous rings

Keeps trachea open.

Bronchial tubes

Carry air into lungs.

Larynx

Voice box - makes sound.

Epiglottis

Covers trachea when swallowing.

Pharynx (throat)

Connects nose/mouth to trachea and esophagus.

Lungs

Take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide.

Kidneys

Filter waste from blood.

Ureter

Carries urine from kidneys to bladder.

Urinary bladder

Stores urine.

Urethra

Releases urine out of the body.

Urogenital opening (urogenital papillae)

Opening for urine and reproductive fluids.

Scrotum / Testes

Testes make sperm and scrotum carries testes.

Epididymis / Vas deferens

Epididymis is where sperm mature and are stored, vas deferens is the tube that carries sperm to the penis.

Penis

Releases sperm and urine.

Ovaries

Makes eggs and hormones.

Uterine horn (fallopian tube)

Carries eggs to uterus.

Uterus / Vagina

Uterus holds the baby if pregnant; vagina is the birth canal and where sperm enters.

Atria / Ventricles

Atria receive blood and ventricles pump blood out.

Pericardium

Protective sac around the heart.

Coronary Arteries

Ensure the heart has a constant blood supply.

Pulmonary arteries

Carries deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs.

Superior(upper body) and Inferior(lower body) Vena Cava

Bring deoxygenated blood from the body to the heart.

Internal and External Jugular veins

Drain blood from the head and neck.

Vena Cavae

Largest vein in the body; carries deoxygenated blood back to the heart.

Pulmonary Veins

Carries oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart.

Brachiocephalic

Carries blood to right arm, head, and neck.

Aorta and Aortic Arch

Aorta is the main artery from the heart that distributes blood; aortic arch distributes blood to the head, neck, and upper extremities.

Common carotid / Left and Right Carotid

Carry blood to the brain and head.

Abdominal Aorta

Brings blood to lower body.

Umbilical Vessels

Carry blood between fetus and placenta.

Mesenteric Artery

Feeds intestines with blood.

Renal Artery

Sends blood to kidneys.

Intercostal arteries

Supply blood to ribs and chest muscles.

Thyroid

Controls metabolism with hormones.

Spleen

Filters blood and helps fight germs.

Masseter Muscle

Helps with chewing.

Lymph nodes

Trap germs and support the immune system.

Nipples

Deliver milk in females; no function in males.