Year 9 PASS: Body Systems for Physical Activity (Assessment Task 3)

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the Year 9 Physical Activity and Sports Studies (PASS) Assessment Task 3 topics: the skeletal, muscular, circulatory, and respiratory systems.

PASS5-5

The syllabus outcome assessed by demonstrating actions and strategies that contribute to active participation and skilful performance.

PASS5-6

The syllabus outcome assessed by evaluating the characteristics of participation and quality performance in physical activity and sport.

Assessment Task 3 Exam Structure

A 56-mark yearly examination weighted at 50% of PASS, consisting of Section I (10 multiple-choice marks) and Section II (46 short answer response marks).

Axial Skeleton

The central core division of the skeleton that protects vital organs and supports posture, including the cranium, mandible, sternum, ribcage, vertebrae, sacrum, and coccyx.

Appendicular Skeleton

The division of the skeleton responsible for movement and locomotion, comprising the upper limbs, lower limbs, shoulder girdle (clavicle, scapula), and pelvic girdle.

Head of Bone

The rounded proximal or distal end of a long bone (epiphysis) that articulates with an adjacent bone to form a joint.

Spongy Bone

Porous, honeycomb-like vascular bone tissue located mainly at the ends of bones that houses red bone marrow and absorbs shock.

Growth Plate

A specialized area of cartilage near the ends of long bones in growing individuals where new bone tissue forms to allow lengthwise growth.

Compact Bone

Dense, hard, external structural bone tissue that provides rigid strength, protection, and load-bearing support.

Marrow Cavity

The hollow central chamber running through the shaft of long bones that stores yellow bone marrow (fats) and contains blood vessels.

Long Bones

Bones that are longer than they are wide, acting as rigid levers for movement (e.g., femur, humerus, radius, ulna, tibia, fibula).

Short Bones

Cube-shaped bones providing stability, support, and limited movement (e.g., carpals of the wrist and tarsals of the ankle).

Flat Bones

Thin, flattened, slightly curved bones designed to protect internal organs and provide broad surfaces for muscle attachment (e.g., cranium, sternum, ribs, scapula).

Irregular Bones

Bones with complex, specialized shapes that do not fit other categories, adapted to specific protective or supportive roles (e.g., vertebrae, sacrum, coccyx).

Sesamoid Bones

Small, rounded bones embedded within tendons to reduce friction and alter the pull of muscle forces across joints (e.g., patella).

Fibrous Joint

An immovable or fixed joint where bones are joined by tough fibrous connective tissue without a joint cavity (e.g., sutures of the cranium).

Cartilaginous Joint

A slightly movable joint connected entirely by cartilage (e.g., intervertebral discs between vertebrae, pubic symphysis).

Synovial Joint

A freely movable joint characterized by a fluid-filled synovial cavity, articular cartilage, and a fibrous joint capsule.

Hinge Joint

A uniaxial synovial joint allowing movement in only one plane, specifically flexion and extension (e.g., elbow, knee).

Ball and Socket Joint

A multiaxial synovial joint where a spherical bone head fits into a cup-like socket, allowing the greatest range of movement (e.g., hip, shoulder).

Pivot Joint

A uniaxial synovial joint that permits rotational movement around a central axis (e.g., atlantoaxial joint of the neck, radioulnar joint).

Saddle Joint

A biaxial synovial joint where both articulating surfaces have opposing concave and convex shapes, allowing flexion, extension, abduction, and adduction (e.g., base of thumb / carpometacarpal joint).

Condyloid (Ellipsoid) Joint

A biaxial synovial joint where an oval-shaped condyle fits into an elliptical cavity, allowing movement in two planes without axial rotation (e.g., radiocarpal joint of the wrist).

Plane (Gliding) Joint

A synovial joint with flat articulating surfaces that slide past one another to permit limited gliding movement (e.g., between carpals or tarsals).

Flexion

A joint movement that decreases the angle between two articulating bones (e.g., bending the elbow or knee).

Extension

A joint movement that increases the angle between two articulating bones, straightening the joint (e.g., straightening the elbow or knee).

Abduction

Movement of a body part away from the midline of the body (e.g., raising an arm out to the side).

Adduction

Movement of a body part toward the midline of the body (e.g., lowering an arm back down to the side).

Rotation

The circular turning of a bone around its own longitudinal axis (e.g., turning the head from side to side).

Circumduction

A conical movement combining flexion, extension, abduction, and adduction such that the distal end of a limb moves in a circle while the proximal end stays relatively stationary.

Supination

Rotation of the forearm so that the palm faces upward or anteriorly.

Pronation

Rotation of the forearm so that the palm faces downward or posteriorly.

Dorsiflexion

Upward flexion of the ankle joint, lifting the foot and toes toward the shin.

Plantarflexion

Downward extension of the ankle joint, pointing the toes and foot away from the body toward the ground.

Skeletal Muscle

Striated, voluntary muscle tissue attached to bones via tendons, spanning joints to generate body movement.

Smooth Muscle

Non-striated, involuntary muscle tissue found in the walls of hollow internal organs and blood vessels.

Cardiac Muscle

Striated, involuntary muscle tissue found exclusively in the heart wall, adapted for continuous rhythmic contraction without fatigue.

Agonist (Prime Mover)

The primary muscle that contracts actively to produce a specific target movement at a joint.

Antagonist

The muscle that relaxes and lengthens while the agonist contracts, allowing smooth, controlled joint movement.

Isometric Contraction

A muscular contraction where muscle tension develops, but the muscle length does not change and no visible joint movement occurs (e.g., holding a plank or scrummaging).

Isotonic Contraction

A muscular contraction where muscle tension leads to a change in muscle length and visible joint movement, comprising concentric (shortening) and eccentric (lengthening) phases.

Isokinetic Contraction

A muscular contraction where the speed of movement remains constant throughout the entire range of motion, typically regulated by specialized dynamometer machinery.

Atrium

An upper receiving chamber of the heart that collects incoming blood from veins and pumps it into the ventricle below.

Ventricle

A thick, muscular lower pumping chamber of the heart that forces blood out into the arteries and around the circulatory pathways.

Heart Valves

Internal flaps of tissue (tricuspid, pulmonary, mitral, and aortic) that maintain unidirectional blood flow by preventing backflow when the heart pumps.

Arteries

Thick, elastic, muscular blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood under high pressure away from the heart (except the pulmonary artery).

Veins

Thin-walled blood vessels containing valves that carry deoxygenated blood back toward the heart under low pressure (except the pulmonary vein).

Capillaries

Microscopic, single-cell-thick blood vessels where the exchange of oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients, and waste products occurs between blood and body tissues.

Red Blood Cells

Biconcave disc-shaped blood cells containing hemoglobin that specialize in binding and transporting oxygen from the lungs to working muscles and tissues.

White Blood Cells

Cells of the immune system within the blood that defend the body against pathogens, infections, and disease.

Heart Rate (HR)

The number of times the heart beats per unit of time, typically measured in beats per minute ($\text{bpm}$).

Stroke Volume (SV)

The volume of blood pumped out of the left ventricle of the heart with each individual contraction, usually measured in milliliters ($\text{mL}$).

Cardiac Output (CO)

The total volume of blood pumped by the left ventricle per minute, calculated as heart rate multiplied by stroke volume ($\text{CO} = \text{HR} \times \text{SV}$).

Thermoregulation

The circulatory function of regulating internal body temperature by dilating blood vessels near the skin to dissipate heat or constricting them to retain heat.

Epiglottis

A flexible flap of cartilage located above the larynx that folds down during swallowing to prevent food and liquid from entering the trachea.

Trachea

The windpipe supported by rings of cartilage that provides a clear airway for air passing between the larynx and the bronchi.

Bronchi

The two main branches dividing from the trachea that carry air directly into the right and left lungs.

Bronchioles

The small, narrow branching airways within the lungs that deliver air from the bronchi to the alveoli.

Alveoli

Microscopic, thin-walled air sacs surrounded by capillaries where external respiration (gas exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide) occurs.

Diaphragm

The large, dome-shaped sheet of skeletal muscle separating the thoracic and abdominal cavities that contracts downward during inspiration to draw air into the lungs.

Intercostal Muscles

Muscles situated between the ribs that contract to lift the ribcage upward and outward during inspiration, increasing thoracic cavity volume.

Inspiration

The active process of breathing in, where the diaphragm contracts and moves downward while the intercostal muscles pull the ribs up and out, decreasing thoracic pressure.

Expiration

The passive process of breathing out during rest, where the diaphragm and intercostal muscles relax, decreasing thoracic volume and forcing air out of the lungs.