Nervous system vocabulary

axon : A long, membrane-bound extension of the cell body that passes the nerve impulse onto the next cell.
brain stem : Part of the brain involved with unconscious (autonomic) functions such as breathing, heartbeat, and temperature regulation
cell body : Part of a neuron that contains the nucleus and other organelles.
cerebellum : The part of the brain that is involved in coordination and control of body movement.
cerebral cortex :The highly-folded outer layer of the cerebrum; controls higher functions, such as consciousness, reasoning, emotions, and language.
cerebrum : The part of the brain that generally controls conscious functions such as problem-solving and speech.
central nervous system (CNS) : Made up of the brain and spinal cord; .
dendrites : Extend from the cell body and receive a nerve impulse from another cell.
interneurons : Neurons that connect sensory and motor neurons in neural pathways that go through the CNS; also called association or relay neurons.
motor neuron : Neuron that carries nerve impulses from the central nervous system to internal organs, glands, or muscles.
myelin sheath : An electrically insulating layer; covers the axon; speeds up the transmission of a nerve impulse along the axon.
nerve : An enclosed, cable-like bundle of axons.
nerve impulse : Electrical signal that is transmitted by neurons.
nervous system : Body system that controls all the other systems of the body.
neuron : The structural unit of the nervous system. This cell transmits electrical signals.
neurotransmitter : Chemical messages which are released at the synapse and pass the “message” onto the next neuron or other type of cell.
peripheral nervous system (PNS) : All the nerves of the body that lie outside the central nervous system.
sensory neurons : Neurons that carry signals from tissues and organs to the central nervous system; sometimes called afferent neurons.
spinal cord : A thin, tubular bundle of nervous tissue that extends from the medulla oblongata (brain stem) and continues to the lower back
synapse : A specialized junction at which the axon of one neuron comunicate with dendrite of another neuron.

• Bladder: A hollow organ that stores urine.
• Bowman’s capsule: A cup-shaped structure around the glomerulus that collects the filtered substances; part of the nephron.
• Dialysis: A medical procedure in which blood is filtered with the help of a machine.
• Excretion:The process of removing wastes and excess water from the body.
• Filtration: The process of filtering substances from blood in the glomerulus.
• Glomerulus: Part of the nephron; a cluster of arteries that filters substances out of the blood.
• Homeostasis: The ability to maintain a stable internal environment despite external changes.
• Kidney: Organ that filters the blood and forms urine.
• Kidney stones: Crystals of dissolved minerals that form in urine inside the kidneys.
• Nephrons: The structural and functional units of the kidneys; includes the glomerulus, Bowman’s capsule, and renal tubule.
• Reabsorption: The return of needed substances in the filtrate back to the bloodstream.
• Renal tubule: A long, narrow tube surrounded by capillaries that reabsorbs many of the filtered substances and secretes other substances; part of the nephron.
• Urea: The main waste nitrogen in the urine of mammals. It is produced in the metabolism of proteins.
• Ureter: Tube-shaped structure that brings urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder.
• Urethra: A muscular tube that carries urine out of the body.
• Urinary system: The organ system that makes, stores, and gets rid of urine.
• Urine: The liquid waste product of the body that is excreted by the urinary system.

Vocabulary of circulatory system

Anemia: The condition of not having enough hemoglobin in the blood to carry oxygen to body cells.
Antibodies: Proteins that identify pathogens or other substances as being harmful; flow in blood; can destroy pathogens by attaching to the cell membrane of the pathogen.
Arteries: Blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart.
Atrioventricular (AV) valves: Valves that stop blood from moving from the ventricles back into the atria.
Atrium: One of the two small, thin-walled chambers on the top of the heart that blood first enters.
Blood: A body fluid that is a type of connective tissue; moves oxygen and other compounds throughout the body.
Blood clotting: The complex process by which blood forms solid clots.
Blood pressure: The force exerted by circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels.
Capillaries: The smallest and narrowest blood vessels in the body.
Cardiovascular system: The organ system that is made up of the heart, the blood vessels, and the blood.
Heart attack: Event that occurs when the blood supply to a part of the heart is blocked.
Hemophilia: A group of hereditary diseases that affect the body's ability to control blood clotting.
Hypertension: Also called high blood pressure; a condition in which a person’s blood pressure is always high;
Leukemia: Cancer of the blood or bone marrow; characterized by an abnormal production of blood cells, usually white blood cells.
Lymphatic system: A network of vessels and tissues that carry a clear fluid called lymph; includes lymph nodes, lymph ducts, and lymph vessels.
Plasma: The golden-yellow liquid part of the blood.
Platelets: Fragments of larger cells that are important in blood clotting.
Pulmonary circulation: The part of the cardiovascular system which carries oxygen-poor blood away from the heart to the lungs, and returns oxygen-rich blood back to the heart.
Red blood cells (RBCs) : Flattened disk-shaped cells that carry oxygen, the most common blood cell in the blood. Mature red blood cells do not have a nucleus.
Semilunar (SL) valves: Found in the arteries leaving the heart; prevents blood flowing back from the arteries into the ventricles.
Sickle cell disease: A blood disease that is caused by abnormally-shaped blood protein hemoglobin.
Stroke: A loss of brain function due to a blockage of the blood supply to the brain.
Systemic circulation: The portion of the cardiovascular system which carries oxygen-rich blood away from the heart to the body, and returns oxygen-poor blood back to the heart.
Veins: Blood vessels that carry blood back to the heart.
Ventricle: One of the two muscular V-shaped chambers that pump blood out of the heart.
White blood cells (WBCs): Nucleated blood cells that are usually larger than red blood cells; defend the body against infection by bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens.

Respiratory system vocabulary

alveoli:Little "sacs" at the end of the bronchioles where most of the gas exchange occurs.
asthma:A chronic illness in which the bronchioles are inflamed and become narrow.
bronchitis:An inflammation of the bronchi.
diaphragm:A sheet of muscle that extends across the bottom of the rib cage. When the diaphragm contracts the chest volume gets larger and the lungs take in air; when the diaphragm relaxes, the chest volume gets smaller and air is pushed out of the lungs.
emphysema: A chronic lung disease caused by loss of elasticity of the lung tissue.
epiglottis:A flap of connective tissue that closes over the trachea when food is swallowed to prevent choking or inhaling food.
exhalation:Pushing air out of the body through the nose or mouth.
external respiration:The movement of oxygen into the body and carbon dioxide out of the body.
inhalation:Taking air into the body through the nose and mouth.
internal respiration:The exchange of gases between the blood and the cells of the body.
larynx:Found just below the point at which the pharynx splits into the trachea and the esophagus. Your voice comes from your larynx; air from the lungs passes across thin membranes in the larynx and produces sound; also called the voicebox.
lung cancer:A disease where the cells that line the lungs grow out of control; the growing mass of cells pushes into nearby tissues and can affect how these tissues work.
pathogen: An organism that causes disease in another organism; certain bacteria, viruses, and fungi are pathogens of the respiratory system.
pharynx:A long tube that is shared with the digestive system; both food and air pass through the pharynx.
pneumonia:An illness in which the alveoli become inflamed and flooded with fluid.
respiratory disease
trachea:A long tube that leads down to the chest where it divides into the right and left bronchi in the lungs; also called the windpipe.
tuberculosis (TB): A common and often deadly infectious disease caused by a type of bacterium called mycobacterium.

Listening activity and vocabulary

First, a video to improve listening. It is for children but the pronunciation is very clear and I think you can understand it without problems.




absorption: The process in which nutrients pass into the blood stream, where they can circulate throughout the body; occurs mainly in the small intestine.
amylase : This enzyme helps break down complex starch molecules into simpler sugar molecules.
cecum: The first part of the large intestine, where waste enters from the small intestine.
celiac disease: An immune reaction to a food protein called gluten, which is found in grains.
chemical digestion: Digestion in which large food molecules are broken down into small nutrient molecules. It takes place mainly in the small intestine.
colon: The second part of the large intestine, where excess water is absorbed. After the excess water is absorbed, the remaining solid waste is called feces.
constipation: Having three or less bowel movements each week.
digestion: Process of breaking down food into nutrients.
digestive system: Body system that breaks down food, absorbs nutrients, and gets rid of solid food waste.
duodenum: The first part of the small intestine; site where most chemical digestion occurs.
enzyme: A substance, usually a protein, that speeds up chemical reactions in the body.
esophagus: The narrow tube that carries food from the pharynx to the stomach.
food intolerance: Occurs when the digestive system is unable to break down a certain type of food.
gall bladder: A small, pear-shaped structure below the liver; stores substances from the liver until they are needed by the small intestine.
gastritis: Inflammation of the lining of the stomach.
gastrointestinal (GI) tract: Organ of the digestive system; a long tube that connects the mouth with the anus.
ileum: The third part of the small intestine; covered with villi; the few remaining nutrients are absorbed in the ileum.
jejunum: The second part of the small intestine; where most nutrients are absorbed into the blood; lined with tiny “fingers” called villi.
large intestine: A relatively wide tube that connects the small intestine with the anus where excess water is absorbed from food waste. It consists of three parts: the cecum, colon, and rectum.
mechanical digestion: Digestion in which large chunks of food are broken down into small pieces. It takes place mainly in the mouth and stomach.
peristalsis: Involuntary muscle contractions which push food through the digestive system.
pharynx: Connects the mouth to the rest of the digestive tract; also connects the mouth and nose to the rest of the respiratory system.
rectum: The third part of the large intestine; where feces accumulates. As the rectum fills, the feces become compacted. The feces are stored in the rectum until they are eliminated from the body.
small intestine: The narrow tube between the stomach and large intestine where most chemical digestion and absorption of nutrients take place.
stomach: A saclike organ located between the end of the esophagus and the beginning of the small intestine. In the stomach, food is further digested both mechanically and chemically.
stomach ulcer: A sore in the lining of the stomach.
villi : Contain microscopic blood vessels; nutrients are absorbed into the blood through these tiny vessels; located on the jejunum and the ileum.

tHE NEXT EXAM

This is the vocabulary to study in the mext exam about food and nutrients.
1. Nutrients: Human beings obtain these chemical substances from ingested foods.
2. Triglycerides: lipids in which three fatty acids are bound to a compound called glycerol
3. Cholesterol: lipid that can damage blood vessels if its concentration in the blood are too high
4. Saturated fats: lipids that are found in animal foods and are solid at room temperature.
5. Unsaturated fats: lipids that are found in plant foods and are liquid at room temperature.
6. Fatty acids: they are a component of triglyceride
7. Dehydration: It occurs when a person does not take in enough water to replace the water that is lost
8. Carbohydrates: Group of nutrients where sugars are included
9. Calorie: It is a unit of energy that measures how much energy food provides to the body
10. Polysaccharides Carbohydrates that contain many saccharides like starch
11. Amino acids: Small molecules that are the building blocks of proteins.
12. Antibodies. White blood cells produce these proteins to destroy bacteria.
13. Fiber: It prevents constipation.
14. Glucose : Simple carbohaydrate that circulates in the blood, providing energy to cells throughout the body.
15. Hemoglobin: Protein that transports the oxigen in the red blood cells.

GOOD LUCK