Physiological Terms
Abdomen — is the largest interior cavity of the body below the throat from which it is separated by the diaphragm.
Aorta — is the large trunk emerging from the left ventricle of the heart. It distributes purified blood through its branches all over the body.
Aqueous humour — is the transparent fluid of the anterior chamber of the eye.
Arteries — are blood vessels carrying blood away from the heart to the various tissues.
Arthritis — is the inflammation of joints due to infection, metabolic or constitutional causes.
Auricles — are two upper chambers of the heart into which the blood comes from the veins.
Bile — is the secretion of the liver poured into duodenum. It is alkaline and is helpful in digestion, absorption and excretion.
Blood — is a red-coloured fluid circulating through the heart, arteries, capillaries and veins. One cubic millimetre of normal blood contains about 5,000,000 red corpuscles and 6,000 white corpuscles. The red colour of the blood is due to the presence of a pigment known as haemoglobin. The arterial blood is of bright red colour and the venous blood is of dark red colour. The total amount of blood in a body is equal to about one-twelfth of the weight of the body.
Blood count — is the determination of the number of white and red corpuscles in a cubic millimetre of blood.
Cerebrum — is the chief and largest part of brain which occupies the upper and frontal two-thirds of entire brain covering all other parts of brain. It is also the centre of intelligence, coordination, memory, will, imagination, etc. It controls voluntary action as well.
Duodenum — is the first part of the small intestine, from the stomach to the jejunum, where pancreatic juice helps in the digestion of food.
Enzyme — is a catalytic substance promoting a chemical change in human body. These are contained in juices secreted by different glands which help in the digestion of food.
Epilepsy — is the disorder marked by disturbed electrical rhythms of the central nervous system and typically manifested by convulsive attacks usually with clouding of consciousness.
Gall bladder — is the pear-shaped pouch situated at the lower border of the liver for the storage of bile and the secretion of mucous.
Gastric juice — is a secretion of glands in the stomach. It contains hydrochloric acid which destroys bacteria contained in the food, and enzymes which help in digesting proteins and fats.
Haemoglobin — is a pigment present in blood.
Kidneys — are a pair of bean-shaped glandular organs responsible for the excretion of urine, maintenance of blood reaction, water balance and concentration of blood. The excretory products formed in the body are conveyed to the kidneys where these are filtered and waste eliminated as urine.
Pancreas — is the long, yellowish gland across the posterior wall of the abdomen secreting pancreatic juice which digests proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
Parathyroid glands — are small endocrine glands near the thyroid glands. The hormones secreted by them regulate the ratio of calcium in blood and growth of body.
Prostate glands — are the sex glands surrounding the beginning portion of urethra.
Pulmonary veins — emerge out of lungs. They carry purified blood from the lungs to the left auricle from where it goes to the left ventricle.
Retina — is the light-receptive layer in the eye. It is composed of rods and cones. Rods are concerned with vision in dim light, whereas cones are sensitive to colours and bright light.
Spleen — is the largest lymphatic organ of the body located immediately below the diaphragm on the left side. Formation of red blood cells, storage of blood and destruction of corpuscles are some of its main functions.
Thyroid glands — are the small ducdess glands on either side of the windpipe in the neck. The hormones secreted by it contain 65 per cent of iodine. Its deficiency causes dwarfness in children and goitre in adults.
Veins — are the blood vessels which carry blood back to heart from different parts of the body.
Ventricles — are the two lower chambers of the heart from which purified blood flows out through arteries.
Vitreous humour — is the transparent fluid in the posterior chamber of the eye.
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