Download Body Systems Vocabulary

Body Systems Vocabulary
8th Grade
Skeletal System – An internal system made up of bones, joints, and connective
tissue
Marrow – A tissue in the center of some bones
Joints – The points at which bones meet
Cartilage – Strong, flexible tissue that provides cushioning at your joints
Ligaments -- Strong cords of tissue that connect the bones in each joint
Tendons -- Tough bands of tissue that attach your muscles to bones
Muscular System – The group of structures that make your body parts move
Skeletal Muscle – Muscle attached to bones that enables you to move your body
Smooth Muscle – Muscle found in organs, (stomach and intestines ) and in blood
vessels and glands.
Cardiac Muscle – Muscle found only in the walls of your heart
Circulatory System – Organs and tissues that transport essential materials to
body cells and remove their waste products
Cardiovascular System – Another name for circulatory system
Pulmonary Circulation – The flow of blood from the heart to the lungs and back
to the heart
Systemic Circulation – The flow of blood to all the body tissues except the lungs
Arteries – Blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart to other parts of the
body
Veins – Blood vessels that carry blood from the body back to the heart
Capillaries – Tiny tubes that carry blood from the arteries to the body’s cells, and
then back to the veins
Respiratory System – The organs that provide the body with a continuous supply
of oxygen and rid the body of carbon dioxide
Epiglottis – A flap of tissue that closes over the trachea when you swallow
Larynx – The upper part of the respiratory system which contains the vocal cords
Trachea – A windpipe that directs air to the lungs
Bronchi – passages through which air enters the lungs
Diaphragm – A dome-shaped muscle that separates the lungs from the abdomen
Alveoli – Microscopic air sacs in the lungs where oxygen passes into the
capillaries and into the blood
Nervous System – The body control center
Neurons – Specialized cells that make up the nervous system
Central Nervous System (CNS) – Part of the nervous system that includes the
spinal cord and brain
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) – Part of the nervous system that includes the
nerves that connect the CNS to all parts of the body
Somatic System – A system dealing with actions you control (part of the PNS)
Autonomic System -- A system dealing with actions you do not usually control,
ie. breathing and digestion (part of the PNS)
Digestive System – An organ system that converts food to a form useful to the
body
Digestion – The changing of food you eat into substances the body can use
Saliva – Fluid produced by the salivary glands that softens and moistens food
Small Intestine – A coiled, tubelike organ that is about 20 feet long that absorbs
digested nutrients
Liver – A large gland that has many digestive functions. It produces bile, a
substance that aids in the digestion of fats
Gallbladder – A small saclike organ that stores bile and releases it as needed
Pancreas – An organ that produces enzymes that assist in digestion
Excretory System – A system that removes wastes from the body
Excretion – is the process of removing wastes from the body
Colon – The large intestine
Kidneys – Organs that filter water and dissolves wastes from the blood and help
maintain proper levels of water and salts in the body
Endocrine System – A chemical communication system that regulates many body
functions
Gland – A group of cells, or an organ, that secretes a chemical substance
Pituitary Gland – A gland signaling other endocrine glands to produce hormones
when needed
Reproductive System – The organs that make possible the production of
offspring
Sperm – The male reproductive cells
Egg cell – The female reproductive cells
Ovulation -- The release of one mature egg cell each month
Menstruation – The flow of the uterine lining out of the body
Menstrual Cycle – The sequence of events in the reproductive system that occurs
from one menstruation to another
Menopause – A period marking the end of a female’s reproductive years