Terms for Practical Exam #3 - Fall 2025

alimentary canal (GI tract)

digestive tube that extends from the mouth to the anus

oral cavity

labial frenulum (superior and inferior)

median fold that joins the internal aspect of each lip to the gum

teeth

hard bony projections in the jaws for masticating (chewing) food

Parts of a tooth

tongue

a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity

parotid gland

salivary gland within the cheek, just anterior to the ear

sublingual gland

salivary gland under the tongue

submandibular gland

a salivary gland inside the lower jaw on either side that produces most of the nocturnal saliva

uvula

Esophagus

A muscular tube that connects the mouth to the stomach.

gastroesophageal sphincter

Muscle that connects the esophagus and stomach, and helps keep the stomach contents in the stomach

Parts of the stomach

cardia, fundus, body, pylorus

salivary amylase

Enzyme in saliva that breaks down starch

HCl (stomach acid)

Kills harmful bacteria injected with food and denatures proteins for digestion

-causes a drop in pH in the stomach, which converts pepsinogen into pepsin, a protein digesting enzyme

Hydrolysis (Digestion) Reaction

breakdown of molecules involving water. This is often facilitated by an acid or base.

Mechanical digestion

Physical breakdown of large pieces of food into smaller pieces

Chemical digestion

Process by which enzymes break down food into small molecules that the body can use

Pepsin

An enzyme present in gastric juice that begins the hydrolysis of proteins

Trypsin

an enzyme from the pancreas that digests proteins in the small intestine

pyloric sphincter (of stomach)

Controls passage of food from stomach to small intestine

Small intestine

Digestive organ where most chemical digestion and absorption of food takes place

duodenum, jejunum, ileum

mesenteries

Sheets of connective tissue in moist or fluid-filled body cavities.

lesser curvature of stomach

concave medial surface of the stomach

greater curvature of stomach

convex lateral surface of the stomach

stomach

large muscular sac that continues the mechanical and chemical digestion of food

Pancreas

An organs in the abdominal cavity with two roles. The first is an exocrine role: to produce digestive enzymes and bicarbonate, which are delivered to the small intestine via the pancreatic duct. The second is an endocrine role: to secrete insulin and glucagon into the bloodstream to help regulate blood glucose levels.

Pancreatic juices

liquid secreted by the pancreas to break down various food products in the small intestine

Bile

A substance produced by the liver that breaks up fat particles.

Liver

produces bile

lobes of the liver

left, right, caudate, quadrate

falciform ligament of liver

Separates larger right and smaller left lobes

Suspends liver from diaphragm and anterior abdominal wall

round ligament of liver

porta hepatis

central area of the liver where the portal vein, common duct, and hepatic artery enter

common bile duct (CBD)

Distal portion of the biliary duct or common duct. Transports bile from the level of the cystic duct, inferomedially toward the head of the pancreas and then enters the duodenum and empties the bile to aid in digestion.

cystic duct of gallbladder

Short duct between gallbladder and common hepatic duct joins common hepatic duct to form bile duct

Gallbladder

stores and concentrates bile

bilirubin

orange-yellow pigment in bile; formed by the breakdown of hemoglobin when red blood cells are destroyed

large intestine

Absorbs water and forms feces

ileocecal valve

Valve at the junction of the small and large intestines

cecum of large intestine

first part of the large intestine

vermiform appendix (appendix)

hangs from the lower portion of the cecum; consists of lymphoid tissue

parts of the colon

ascending, transverse, descending, sigmoid

hepatic flexure (right colic flexure)

Bend between the ascending colon and the transverse colon.

splenic flexure (left colic flexure)

the bend in the colon between the transverse colon and the descending colon

rectum

A short tube at the end of the large intestine where waste material is compressed into a solid form before being eliminated

anal canal

region, containing two sphincters, through which feces are expelled from the body

internal anal sphincter

smooth muscle, involuntary

external anal sphincter

skeletal muscle, voluntary

lesser omentum

attaches stomach to liver

greater omentum

part of the peritoneum attached to the stomach and to the colon and covering the intestines

Peritoneum

membrane that lines the abdominal cavity

Kidneys

Filter blood from the renal arteries and produce urine as waste

Ureter

A duct leading from the kidney to the urinary bladder.

Urinary Bladder

saclike organ in which urine is stored before being excreted

Urethra

tube leading from the urinary bladder to the outside of the body

Nephron

functional unit of the kidney

renal corpuscle

glomerulus and bowman's capsule

glomerulus

A ball of capillaries surrounded by Bowman's capsule in the nephron and serving as the site of filtration in the vertebrate kidney.

Bowman's capsule

Renal tubule

microscopic tube in the kidney where urine is formed after filtration

Proximal Convoluted tubule

Distal convoluted tubule

Nephron loop

collecting duct

juxtaglomerular complex

consists of specialized cells that secrete renin when glomerular blood pressure decreases

macula densa

The cells of the distal tubule at the juxtaglomerular apparatus. They are receptors that monitor filtrate osmolarity as a means of regulatin filtration rate. If a drop is osmolarity is sensed, the macula densa dilates the afferent arteriole (to increase the blood pressure in the glomerulus and thus increase filtration) and stimulates the juxtaglomerular cells to secrete renin (to raise systemic blood pressure).

Renal cortex

renal medulla (of kidney)

renal pyramids

triangular-shaped areas of tissue in the medulla of the kidney

renal pelvis (of kidney)

funnel shaped sac at the superior end of the ureter

minor calyx (calyces)

small cuplike collecting structures, receive from the renal papillae

Major calyx (calyces)

larger collecting structures that the minor calyces converge on

transitional epithelium

function: stretches readily and permits distension of urinary organ by contained urine

Location: lines the ureters, urinary bladder, and part of the urethra

spongy urethra

runs through penis; opens at external urethral orifice

internal urethral sphincter

involuntary smooth muscle

external urethral sphincter

skeletal muscle, voluntary

prostatic urethra

Where the urethra passes through the prostate.

membranous urethra

portion of the urethra between the prostate and the penis

testis

male reproductive organ that produces sperm and hormones

Scrotum

External sac that contains the testes

seminiferous tubules (testes)

Where does spermatogenesis occur?

rete testis

network of tubules between the seminiferous tubules and the epididymis

Epididymis

A long, coiled duct on the outside of the testis in which sperm mature.

spermatic cord contains

spermatic artery, spermatic vein, spermatic nerve, and ductus deferens

Ductus (Vas) deferens

carries sperm from epididymis to urethra

bulbourethral glands (Cowper's glands)

Seminal vesicle

each of a pair of glands that open into the vas deferens near its junction with the urethra and secrete many of the components of semen.

prostate gland

adds a chemical fluid to the semen

Penis

A tube-shaped organ that extends from the trunk of the body just above the testes

Copulatory organ of males

Corpora cavernosa

two columns of erectile tissue found in the shaft of the penis

Corpora spongiosum

lines the penile urethra, keeps urethra open during ejaculation

Vagina

A muscular, elastic passageway that extends from the uterus to the outside of the body

Uterus

Female organ of reproduction used to house the developing fetus.

Ovaries

Glands that produce the egg cells and hormones

uterine tubes (fallopian tubes)

tubes attached to the uterus that provide a passageway for the ovum to move from the ovary to the uterus

vulva

external female genitalia; includes the labia, hymen, clitoris, and vaginal orifice

cervix of uterus

fornix of vagina

The cranial portion of the vagina that forms a crypt extending cranially to the cervix.

Pudendal cleft (female)

fissure between labia majora