Anatomy & Physiology Lecture

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, prefixes, and suffixes for Anatomy & Physiology.

Abrasion

a wearing, grinding or rubbing away by friction; a scrape

Absorption

the act of taking something (such as water) in gradually

Accelerate

to gain velocity (speed)

Active

characterized by action, producing or involving action or movement

Acute

characterized by rapid onset and short duration

Adequate

sufficient to meet needs, but not exceed them; acceptable

Adhesion

an attachment between two tissue surfaces

Aerobic

oxygen requiring; e.g., aerobic metabolism

Affinity

an attraction; an attractive force between substances or particles

Aggravate

to make worse

Agonist

a chemical capable to stimulating the same response as an endogenous substance; a muscle that acts in opposition of antagonist muscles

Amplify

to increase the amount or strength of something

Anaerobic

occurring in the absence of oxygen; e.g., anaerobic metabolism

Antagonist

one that opposes or counteracts another

Antagonize

to act in opposition to another

Ascending

rising upward; increasing to higher levels

Attenuate

to reduce the amount or value of something; weaken

Auto- (prefix)

self or same

Autoregulation

local control of a physiological (homeostatic) parameter; self-regulation; acting without external input (hormones or neural input)

Barrier

something that blocks a passage or impedes movement/action

Benign

harmless; having no significant effect on health

Bound (bound to)

fastened to; attached

Caliber

internal diameter of a hollow cylinder (tube)

Circuit

a route that travels in a loop

Chronic

continuing or recurring for a prolonged period; always present

Cleave

to cut or split in two

Clinical

relating to direct observation or treatment of symptoms in a patient

Complex

made up of several parts

Compliant (compliance)

yielding; a tendency to give when a force is applied; easily distended

Concentric

having a common center; e.g., concentric rings

Constant

invariable; unwavering; continual

Constrict

to make narrow; compress or squeeze

Continuous

uninterrupted; not stopping

Constriction

a region that is narrowed, compressed, or squeezed

Contradictory

being in opposition or contrary to another

Corresponding

associated, similar in purpose or form

-cyte (suffix)

cell

Defect

a fault or imperfection

Degrade

to reduce in amount, strength, or structure

Deleterious

harmful, detrimental to health

Derive

to produce or obtain one substance from another

Descending

to move from higher to lower

Differentiate

to change, make different by modification

Diffusion

the movement of molecules due to thermal motion; net movement occurs from higher to lower concentration when a gradient exists

Dilate

to make wider, expand

Dilation

the state of being dilated

Directly (proportional)

when change in one factor results in the same directional change in another

Discontinuous

interrupted; broken

Dissociate

separate

Distal

located farther from a point of attachment

Distend (distensible)

to expand; swell

Dynamic

characterized by action or motion

Effector

something that carries out a response; produces an effect

Efflux

outward flow

Elastic (elastance)

capable of returning to original length after being deformed (stretched)

Elevate

to raise to a higher level or position

Enhance

to intensify or magnify

Equilibrium

a state of balance due to equal and opposite forces or actions

Evaginate

to turn inside out; evert

Excretion

the act of excreting a waste or toxin from the body

Extra- (prefix)

outside

Extrinsic

from outside; external

Facilitate

to make easier; help

Filtration

the act of passing air or water through a device or structure that removes certain elements by obstructing their passage

Flow

to move in a stream; circulate

Fluctuate

to change continually; to vary

Flux

a flow; movement in a direction

Framework

a structure that supports and organizes other parts

Friction

resistance to sliding two surfaces over one another

-genesis (suffix)

a creation; making

Glyco- (prefix)

sugar (glucose) containing

Gradient

a change in magnitude (e.g., temperature, pressure, concentration) over distance

Heterogeneous

composed of varying parts

Hinder

to cause delay; to hamper or slow an action

Homogeneous

composed of similar parts

Homeostasis

the maintenance of internal stability in animal bodies (e.g., temperature, pH, concentration, etc.)

Hydrophilic

having an affinity for water; water soluble

Hydrophobic

having little or no affinity for water; not water soluble

Hyper- (prefix)

above in amount or degree

Hypo- (prefix)

lower in amount or degree

Impermeable (impermeant)

impassable; not permeable

Influx

inward flow

Inhibit

to decrease the rate of, or stop, an action

Initiate

to begin; originate

Integration

to combine parts into a whole; bring together

Inter- (prefix)

between

Intra- (prefix)

within

Intrinsic

from within something

Invaginate

to form a pocket by folding inward

Inversely (proportional)

when change in one factor results in an oppositely directed change in another

Iso- (prefix)

equal; same

-itis (suffix)

inflammation of an organ

Lamina

a layer

-lysis (suffix)

breaking down

Limiting

to restrict or confine; restraining

Lipid (lipo-)

fat

Maintenance

to keep in appropriate condition; upkeep

Malignant

harmful; tending to produce death

Mechanism

the means by which an effect is produced

Microbe

a microorganism, typically a bacterium