Topic 8 Human Body Regents Review

Flashcards covering key vocabulary from a Human Body Regents Review, including the nervous, circulatory, respiratory, excretory, muscular, digestive, regulation, immune, reproductive, endocrine systems, as well as genetics, disease, and transmission.

Homeostasis

The process by which organisms maintain a stable internal environment.

Neuron

A nerve cell that transmits electrical impulses.

Dendrites

Branch-like structures of a neuron that receive messages.

Axon

The long extension of a neuron that carries impulses away.

Impulse

An electrical signal traveling along a neuron.

Motor Neuron

Carries impulses from the brain/spinal cord to muscles or glands.

Sensory Neuron

Carries signals from sense organs to the central nervous system.

Synapse

The space between two neurons where signals are transmitted.

Neurotransmitters

Chemicals that carry messages across a synapse.

Cilia

Hair-like structures that help move substances (e.g., in the respiratory tract).

Hemoglobin

A protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen.

Transport

Movement of substances throughout the body (e.g., oxygen, nutrients).

Lymphocytes

White blood cells that are part of the immune system.

Receptors

Proteins that detect signals and initiate a response.

Valves

Structures in the heart and veins that prevent backflow of blood.

Pulmonary

Relating to the lungs.

Oxygenated

Blood rich in oxygen.

Deoxygenated

Blood low in oxygen.

Nephron

Functional unit of the kidney that filters blood.

Renal

Related to the kidneys.

Striated Muscle

Muscle with a striped appearance, such as skeletal and cardiac muscle.

Smooth Muscle

Involuntary muscle found in internal organs.

Skeletal Muscle

Voluntary muscle attached to bones.

Cardiac Muscle

Involuntary muscle found in the heart.

Food Vacuole

A membrane-bound sac for digestion in simple organisms.

Crop

A pouch in some animals used to store food before digestion.

Amylase

An enzyme in saliva that breaks down starch into sugar.

Oral Cavity

The mouth; where digestion begins.

Villi/Microvilli

Finger-like structures in the small intestine that absorb nutrients.

Insulin

A hormone that lowers blood sugar levels.

Glucagon

A hormone that raises blood sugar levels.

Bile

A substance made by the liver that breaks down fats.

Emulsify

To break up fat into smaller droplets.

Appendix

A small organ near the large intestine with no known essential function.

Regulation

Control and coordination of body functions.

Feedback Mechanisms

Processes that help maintain homeostasis by increasing or decreasing responses.

Antibiotic

A medicine that kills or stops the growth of bacteria.

Antigens

Foreign substances that trigger an immune response.

Antibodies

Proteins that fight specific antigens.

Lymph Nodes

Small structures that filter lymph and house immune cells.

Vaccine

A substance used to stimulate immunity to a disease.

Immunity

The body’s ability to resist a particular disease.

Gonads

Organs that produce gametes (testes and ovaries).

Gamete

A sex cell (sperm or egg).

Meiosis

Cell division that produces gametes with half the number of chromosomes.

Haploid

A cell with half the full number of chromosomes (23 in humans).

Ovulation

The release of an egg from the ovary.

Development

The process of growth from fertilization to adulthood.

Menopause

The end of menstruation and reproductive ability in females.

Zygote

The fertilized egg.

Embryo

The developing organism during the early stages of development.

Fetus

The developing baby after 8 weeks of gestation.

Diffusion

The movement of molecules from high to low concentration.

Full Term

A pregnancy that lasts about 40 weeks.

Premature

A baby born before full term.

Down Syndrome

A genetic disorder caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21.

Amnion

A membrane that surrounds and protects the embryo.

Yolk Sac

Provides nutrients to the early embryo.

Stem Cell

An unspecialized cell that can develop into different cell types.

Hormones

Chemical messengers produced by glands.

Hyposecretion

Too little hormone production.

Hypersecretion

Too much hormone production.

Stimulate

To activate or increase a process.

Inhibit

To slow down or stop a process.

Adrenaline (epinephrine)

A hormone that increases heart rate and prepares the body for "fight or flight."

Transmission

The spread of disease from one person to another.

Host

The organism a pathogen lives in or on.

Epidemic

A widespread outbreak of a disease in a community or region.