Blood, Heart, and Circulatory System Vocabulary

Flashcards for key vocabulary related to blood, the heart, and the circulatory system.

Plasma

The light straw-colored liquid component of blood, making up approximately 55% of its volume.

Erythrocytes

Another name for red blood cells, which are made in the bone marrow and lack a nucleus to carry more hemoglobin.

Hemoglobin

A carrier protein in red blood cells that binds to oxygen, forming oxyhemoglobin, and delivers it to respiring cells.

Oxyhemoglobin

The form of hemoglobin when it is bound to oxygen.

Phagocytosis

The process by which phagocytes engulf bacteria and other foreign particles to protect the body against infection.

Lymphocytes

A type of white blood cell responsible for producing antibodies that target and destroy pathogens.

Antigens

Markers on the surface membrane of pathogens that antibodies bind to in order to neutralize or destroy the pathogen.

Antibodies

Proteins produced by lymphocytes that bind to antigens on pathogens, neutralizing toxins or making it easier for phagocytes to ingest them.

Medulla

The part of the brain that receives information about CO2 levels from sensors in the aorta and carotid artery and influences heart rate.

Adrenaline

A hormone released by the adrenal glands in times of stress that increases heart rate and prepares the body for 'fight or flight'.

Atherosclerosis

The process by which a fatty substance called plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries, leading to coronary heart disease.

Arteries

Blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart to the organs, typically containing bright-red oxygenated blood.

Capillaries

Tiny blood vessels with walls only one cell thick that form a network linking arteries and veins, facilitating the exchange of substances with tissues.

Veins

Blood vessels that carry blood back to the heart from the organs, typically containing deoxygenated blood and having valves to prevent backflow.

Systole

The contraction phase of the heart, during which it pumps blood around the body and to the lungs.

Diastole

The relaxation phase of the heart.

Villi

Small, finger-like projections in the ileum (small intestine) that increase the surface area for absorption of nutrients.

Microvilli

Microscopic projections on the surface of villi that further increase the surface area for nutrient absorption in the ileum.

Lacteal

A lymphatic vessel in the villi of the small intestine that absorbs the products of fat digestion.

Egestion

The process of expelling undigested material (feces) from the rectum through the anus.

Balanced Diet

A diet that contains all the necessary nutrients in the appropriate amounts to maintain health.

Cellular Respiration

A constant process in cells that produces ATP, with two types, aerobic and anaerobic.

Aerobic Respiration

A type of cellular respiration that requires oxygen and produces lots of ATP in the mitochondria.

Anaerobic Respiration

A type of cellular respiration that does not require oxygen and produces only a little ATP.

Emulsion

The mixture of two or more liquids that are normally immiscible (unmixable or unblendable).

Cilia

Tiny, hair-like projections on cells lining the bronchi and bronchioles that waft mucus up to the throat.

Goblet cells

Cell in the lungs which secrete mucus which traps bacteria and dust to stop it from entering the lungs.

Peristalsis

The way food moves along the gut which is by a process.

Plasma

The light straw-colored liquid component of blood, making up approximately 55% of its volume.

Erythrocytes

Another name for red blood cells, which are made in the bone marrow and lack a nucleus to carry more hemoglobin.

Hemoglobin

A carrier protein in red blood cells that binds to oxygen, forming oxyhemoglobin, and delivers it to respiring cells.

Oxyhemoglobin

The form of hemoglobin when it is bound to oxygen.

Phagocytosis

The process by which phagocytes engulf bacteria and other foreign particles to protect the body against infection.

Lymphocytes

A type of white blood cell responsible for producing antibodies that target and destroy pathogens.

Antigens

Markers on the surface membrane of pathogens that antibodies bind to in order to neutralize or destroy the pathogen.

Antibodies

Proteins produced by lymphocytes that bind to antigens on pathogens, neutralizing toxins or making it easier for phagocytes to ingest them.

Medulla

The part of the brain that receives information about CO2 levels from sensors in the aorta and carotid artery and influences heart rate.

Adrenaline

A hormone released by the adrenal glands in times of stress that increases heart rate and prepares the body for 'fight or flight'.

Atherosclerosis

The process by which a fatty substance called plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries, leading to coronary heart disease.

Arteries

Blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart to the organs, typically containing bright-red oxygenated blood.

Capillaries

Tiny blood vessels with walls only one cell thick that form a network linking arteries and veins, facilitating the exchange of substances with tissues.

Veins

Blood vessels that carry blood back to the heart from the organs, typically containing deoxygenated blood and having valves to prevent backflow.

Systole

The contraction phase of the heart, during which it pumps blood around the body and to the lungs.

Diastole

The relaxation phase of the heart.

Villi

Small, finger-like projections in the ileum (small intestine) that increase the surface area for absorption of nutrients.

Microvilli

Microscopic projections on the surface of villi that further increase the surface area for nutrient absorption in the ileum.

Lacteal

A lymphatic vessel in the villi of the small intestine that absorbs the products of fat digestion.

Egestion

The process of expelling undigested material (feces) from the rectum through the anus.

Balanced Diet

A diet that contains all the necessary nutrients in the appropriate amounts to maintain health.

Cellular Respiration

A constant process in cells that produces ATP, with two types, aerobic and anaerobic.

Aerobic Respiration

A type of cellular respiration that requires oxygen and produces lots of ATP in the mitochondria.

Anaerobic Respiration

A type of cellular respiration that does not require oxygen and produces only a little ATP.

Emulsion

The mixture of two or more liquids that are normally immiscible (unmixable or unblendable).

Cilia

Tiny, hair-like projections on cells lining the bronchi and bronchioles that waft mucus up to the throat.

Goblet cells

Cell in the lungs which secrete mucus which traps bacteria and dust to stop it from entering the lungs.

Peristalsis

The way food moves along the gut which is by a process.