Glossary of human body

From WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia

This glossary presents definitions and explanations of terms related to human anatomy, physiology, and various aspects of the human body's structure and function.

Human Body
Scheme body cavities
Human arm bones diagram
Intestine
Rib cage
Lungs
Stomach
Liver
Brain

A[edit | edit source]

  • Artery - A blood vessel that carries oxygen-rich blood away from the heart to the body.
  • Alveoli - Tiny air sacs within the lungs where the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place.
  • Atrium - One of the two upper chambers in the heart that receive blood from the veins.

B[edit | edit source]

  • Biceps - A muscle in the upper arm that flexes the elbow.
  • Bronchi - The main passageways into the lungs, which branch off from the trachea.
  • Bile - A digestive fluid produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder.

C[edit | edit source]

  • Cerebrum - The largest part of the brain, responsible for voluntary muscular activity, vision, speech, taste, hearing, thought, and memory.
  • Capillaries - Microscopic blood vessels that connect arterioles and venules, where nutrient and gas exchange occur.
  • Cartilage - A flexible connective tissue found in various forms in the larynx and respiratory tract, and among other structures within the body.

D[edit | edit source]

  • Dermis - The thick layer of living tissue below the epidermis, comprising nerve endings, sweat glands, and blood vessels.
  • Duodenum - The first section of the small intestine immediately beyond the stomach.
  • Dendrites - Branched extensions of a neuron that receive impulses from other neural cells.

E[edit | edit source]

  • Epidermis - The outer layer of cells covering the body.
  • Esophagus - The part of the alimentary canal that connects the throat to the stomach.
  • Endocrine system - A collection of glands that produce hormones regulating metabolism, growth and development, tissue function, and reproduction.

F[edit | edit source]

  • Femur - The thigh bone, which is the longest and strongest bone in the body.
  • Follicles - Structures in the skin from which hairs grow.
  • Frontal lobe - The part of the brain associated with reasoning, planning, parts of speech, movement, emotions, and problem-solving.

G[edit | edit source]

  • Gastric juice - A digestive fluid, secreted by the stomach, containing hydrochloric acid and pepsin.
  • Gluteus maximus - The largest and outermost of the three gluteal muscles, involved in the rotation and extension of the hip.
  • Golgi apparatus - An organelle in cells involved in the packaging and transport of proteins.

H[edit | edit source]

  • Humerus - The bone of the upper arm or forelimb, forming joints at the shoulder and the elbow.
  • Hypothalamus - A region of the forebrain below the thalamus that coordinates both the autonomic nervous system and the activity of the pituitary.
  • Hemoglobin - A protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.

I[edit | edit source]

  • Iris - The colored part of the eye that controls the size of the pupil and the amount of light reaching the retina.
  • Intestines - The lower part of the alimentary canal from the end of the stomach to the anus.
  • Immune system - The body's defense against infectious organisms and other invaders.

J[edit | edit source]

  • Joint - A structure in the human or animal body at which two parts of the skeleton are fitted together.
  • Jejunum - The part of the small intestine between the duodenum and ileum.

K[edit | edit source]

  • Kidneys - A pair of organs in the abdomen that remove waste and excess water from the blood and excrete them as urine.
  • Keratin - A protein that forms the main structural constituent of hair, feathers, hoofs, claws, horns, etc.

L[edit | edit source]

  • Ligament - A short band of tough, flexible, fibrous connective tissue that connects two bones or cartilages or holds together a joint.
  • Larynx - The hollow muscular organ forming an air passage to the lungs and holding the vocal cords.
  • Leukocytes - White blood cells that are involved in protecting the body against both infectious disease and foreign invaders.

M[edit | edit source]

  • Myocardium - The muscular tissue of the heart.
  • Medulla oblongata - The continuation of the spinal cord within the skull, responsible for the control of several vital functions.
  • Mitochondria - Organelles that act as a digestive system which takes in nutrients, breaks them down, and creates energy-rich molecules for the cell.

N[edit | edit source]

  • Neuron - A specialized cell transmitting nerve impulses.
  • Nucleus - A membrane-bound organelle within a cell that contains chromosomes and controls the cell's growth and reproduction.
  • Nasal cavity - The inside of your nose, which is lined with a mucous membrane that helps to warm, moisten, and filter the air.

O[edit | edit source]

  • Ovary - The female reproductive organ in which ova or eggs are produced.
  • Osteoblast - A cell that secretes the matrix for bone formation.
  • Occipital lobe - The rearmost lobe in each cerebral hemisphere of the brain, responsible for processing visual information.

P[edit | edit source]

  • Pancreas - A large gland behind the stomach that secretes digestive enzymes into the duodenum.
  • Pupil - The opening in the center of the iris of the eye, through which light enters.
  • Phalanges - Digital bones in the hands and feet of most vertebrates.

Q[edit | edit source]

  • Quadriceps femoris - A large muscle group that includes the four prevailing muscles on the front of the thigh.

R[edit | edit source]

  • Ribosome - A particle consisting of RNA and associated proteins, found in large numbers in the cytoplasm of living cells.
  • Retina - A layer at the back of the eyeball containing cells that are sensitive to light and that trigger nerve impulses that pass via the optic nerve to the brain.
  • Ribs - The bones that form the protective cage of the thorax.

S[edit | edit source]

  • Sternum - The breastbone.
  • Synapse - The junction between two nerve cells, consisting of a minute gap across which impulses pass by diffusion of a neurotransmitter.
  • Spleen - An organ involved in the production and removal of blood cells in most vertebrates and forming part of the immune system.

T[edit | edit source]

  • Trachea - The windpipe, a large membranous tube reinforced by rings of cartilage.
  • Tibia - The inner and typically larger of the two bones between the knee and the ankle.
  • Thymus - A lymphoid organ situated in the neck of vertebrates that produces T-cells for the immune system.

U[edit | edit source]

  • Uterus - The organ in the lower body of a woman or female mammal where offspring are conceived and in which they gestate before birth; the womb.
  • Ulna - The thinner and longer of the two bones in the human forearm.
  • Urethra - The duct by which urine is conveyed out of the body from the bladder.

V[edit | edit source]

  • Ventricle - A hollow part or cavity in an organ, especially each of the two main chambers of the heart, left and right.
  • Vein - Any of the tubes forming part of the blood circulation system of the body, carrying in most cases oxygen-depleted blood towards the heart.
  • Villus - Any of numerous minute elongated projections set closely together on a surface, typically increasing its surface area for the absorption of substances, in particular.

W[edit | edit source]

X[edit | edit source]

  • Xiphoid process - The cartilage at the lower end of the sternum, which is not attached to any ribs and gradually ossifies during adult life.

Y[edit | edit source]

  • Yellow bone marrow - Bone marrow that is yellow with fat; found at the ends of long bones in adults.

Z[edit | edit source]

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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD