Digestive, Urinary, and Reproductive Systems Anatomy and Physiology

A detailed set of vocabulary flashcards covering anatomical terms and physiological processes for the digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems as outlined in the weeks $$6$$ and $$7$$ lecture notes.

Acinar Cells

Specialized cells located in the pancreas that produce digestive secretions.

Amylase

A digestive enzyme mentioned in the context of the digestive system and saliva.

Bile

A digestive fluid used to emulsify fats.

Bolus

A rounded mass of food prepared for swallowing through mastication.

Chief cell

A cell type in the gastric gland of the stomach responsible for secreting pepsinogen.

Chyme

The semi-fluid mass of partially digested food that travels from the stomach to the small intestine.

Emulsify

The process of breaking down fat, typically facilitated by bile.

Gastric Pit

Small openings in the stomach lining that lead to gastric glands.

Gastrin

A digestive hormone listed under the stomach and gastric structures.

Goblet Cell

A mucus-secreting cell found within the digestive tract.

HCL

A chemical secretion found in the stomach, produced by parietal cells.

Islets of Langerhans

Clusters of endocrine cells in the pancreas, also listed as pancreatic islets.

Mastication

The act of chewing, which occurs in the oral cavity.

Parietal cell

A cell within the gastric gland responsible for the secretion of $HCL$.

Pepsinogen

An inactive enzyme secreted by chief cells in the stomach.

Peristalsis

Wave-like muscular contractions that move food through the pharyngeal and esophageal phases of digestion.

Rugae

Folds within the stomach lining that allow the organ to expand.

Villus

A small, finger-like projection in the small intestine used for nutrient absorption.

Afferent arteriole

The blood vessel that carries blood into the glomerulus of the kidney.

Bowman’s capsule

A cup-like structure in the nephron that encloses the glomerulus.

Glomerulus

A cluster of capillaries in the kidney where blood filtration occurs.

Loop of Henley

The U-shaped portion of a nephron in the kidney.

Micturition

The physiological act of urinating.

Nephron

The functional and structural unit of the kidney.

Podocyte

A specialized cell within the renal corpuscle of the kidney.

renal - Cortex

The outer layer of the kidney structure.

renal - Medulla

The inner portion of the kidney structure containing the pyramids.

Corpus luteum

An ovarian structure that develops after ovulation occurs.

Endometrium

The inner mucous membrane lining of the uterus.

Gametes

Reproductive cells, designated as sperm in males and ova in females.

Haploid

A cell containing a single set of unpaired chromosomes, characteristic of gametes.

Diploid

A cell containing two complete sets of chromosomes, as seen in a zygote.

Oogenesis

The biological process of forming female gametes or oocytes.

Spermatogenesis

The biological process of forming male gametes or sperm.

Sperm mid-piece

The middle section of a sperm cell that contains mitochondria.

Sperm tail

The part of the sperm cell consisting of a flagellum used for movement.

Zygote

The diploid cell resulting from the union of two haploid gametes.