A & P Vocab

Appendicular Skeleton

The bones that form the limbs or extremities of the body.

Axial Skeleton

The bones of the skull, rib cage, and spinal column.

Cranium

Part of the skull; the eight bones of the head that enclose the brain.

Fontanels

Area between the cranial bones where the bones have not fused together; “soft spots” in the skull of an infant.

Ligaments

Fibrous tissue that connects bone to bone.

Sinuses

Cavity or air space in a bone.

Skeletal System

Made up of bones that support the structure of the body.

Sutures

Surgical stitch used to join the edges of an incision or wound; also, an area where bones join or fuse together.

Vertebrae

Bones in the spinal column.

Abduction

Movement away from the midline.

Adduction

Movement toward the midline.

Cardiac Muscle

The thick middle layer of the heart.

Circumduction

Moving in a circle at a joint, or moving one end of a body part in a circle while the other end remains stationary.

Contracture

Tightening or shortening of a muscle.

Dorsiflexion

Bending backwards or bending the foot toward the knee.

Extension

Increasing the angle between two parts; straightening a limb.

Fascia

Fibrous membrane covering, supporting, and separating muscles.

Flexion

Decreasing the angle between two parts; bending a limb.

Origin

End or area of a muscle that remains stationary when the muscle contracts.

Plantar Flexion

bending forward or bending the foot away from the knee

Pronation

Turning a body part downward; turning “palm down”.

Rotation

Movement around a central axis; a turning.

Skeletal Muscle

Found throughout the body and functions to contract in response to stimuli.

Supination

Turning a body part upward; turning “palm up”.

Tendons

Fibrous connective tissue that connects muscles to bones.

Visceral Muscle

Muscles that work automatically and are found in the organs of the body such as the stomach and lungs.

Arrhythmias

Irregular or abnormal rhythm, usually referring to the heart rhythm.

Arteries

Blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart.

Capillaries

Tiny blood vessels that connect the arterioles and venules and allow for exchange of nutrients and gases between the blood and the body cells.

Myocardium

Muscle layer of the heart.

Pericardium

Membrane sac that covers the outside of the heart.

Veins

Blood vessels that carry blood back to the heart.

Alveoli

Microscopic air sacs in the lungs.

Bronchi

The two main branches of the trachea; air tubes to and from the lungs.

Bronchioles

Small branches of the bronchi; carry air in the lungs.

Cilia

Hairlike projections.

Expiration

The expulsion of air from the lungs; breathing out air.

External Respiration

Breathing both air into the lungs and out into the atmosphere.

Inspiration

Breathing in; taking air into the lungs.

Internal Respiration

exchange of gases between the cells of the body and the blood by way of the fluid

Larynx

Voice box, located between the pharynx and trachea.

Lungs

Organ of respiration located in the thoracic cavity.

Pharynx

The throat.

Pleura

A serous membrane that covers the lungs and lines the thoracic cavity.

Respiration

The process of taking in oxygen and expelling carbon dioxide by way of the lungs and air passages.

Trachea

Windpipe; air tube from the larynx to the bronchi.

Ventilation

Process of breathing.

Colon

The large intestine.

Duodenum

First part of the small intestine; connects the pylorus of the stomach and the jejunum.

Esophagus

Tube that extends from the pharynx to the stomach.

Gallbladder

Small sac near the liver; concentrates and stores bile.

Ileum

Final section of the small intestine; connects the jejunum and the large intestine.

Jejunum

The middle section of the small intestine; connects the duodenum and ileum.

Liver

Largest gland in the body; located in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen; two of its main functions are excreting bile and storing glycogen.

Pancreas

Gland that is dorsal to the stomach; secretes insulin and digestive juices.

Peristalsis

Rhythmic, wavelike motion of involuntary muscles.

Vermiform Appendix

a cylindrical muscular structure attached to the large intestine

Villi

Tiny projections from a surface; in the small intestine, projections that aid in the absorption of nutrients.