UPMSP High School Human Science key terms

A firm but flexible connective tissue that cushions the ends of bones inside joints and supports structures such as the nose and ear. Unlike bone, it contains no blood vessels and heals slowly.

A joint where two bones meet inside a capsule filled with slippery synovial fluid, letting the bones move freely with little friction. Knees, shoulders and hips are examples.

Muscle tissue attached to bones that a person controls consciously, such as the muscles that bend the arm. It tires with sustained effort and grows stronger with regular exercise.

A small coiled gland in the skin that releases sweat through a pore onto the surface. It cools the body as sweat evaporates and removes a little water, salt and urea.

A daily pattern of eating that supplies energy, protein, vitamins, minerals, fibre and water in the amounts the body needs, drawn from a variety of foods in sensible proportions.

The amino acids the body cannot make for itself and must obtain from food, chiefly pulses, milk, eggs, meat and fish. All of them must be present together for growth and repair.

The indigestible part of plant foods such as whole grains, vegetables and fruit. It adds bulk to stools, prevents constipation and helps control blood sugar and cholesterol.

Wave-like contractions of the muscular wall of the alimentary canal that push food and waste along it, from the oesophagus to the rectum, independent of gravity.

Tiny finger-like projections covering the inner wall of the small intestine. They greatly increase the surface for absorbing digested nutrients and contain blood and lymph vessels for transport.

One of millions of microscopic air sacs at the end of the bronchioles in the lungs. Its thin, moist wall lets oxygen and carbon dioxide diffuse between air and blood.

The iron-containing red pigment inside red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the tissues and brings back much of the carbon dioxide.

A small cell fragment in blood that clumps at a damaged vessel wall and triggers clotting, forming a plug that limits bleeding and allows the tissue to repair.

A pale fluid carried in lymph vessels. It returns excess tissue fluid to the blood and carries absorbed fats from the intestine and white cells that fight infection.

The microscopic filtering unit of the kidney. Each kidney contains about a million of them; together they remove wastes from blood and adjust how much water and salt is reabsorbed.

The control of the amount of water and dissolved salts in body fluids so that cells neither swell nor shrink. Kidneys, sweat glands and hormones such as ADH take part.

A hormone released by the pituitary gland when blood becomes too concentrated. It makes the kidney tubules reabsorb more water, producing smaller amounts of darker urine.

A nerve cell with a cell body, dendrites and an axon that carries electrical impulses. Sensory, motor and relay neurons link receptors, the central nervous system and effectors such as muscles.

The tiny gap where one neuron passes a message to the next cell. A chemical transmitter crosses the gap, so the impulse travels in one direction only.

A fast, automatic response to a stimulus that does not wait for conscious thought, such as blinking or pulling the hand from a hot pan. It protects the body from harm.

The light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye. It contains rods for dim light and cones for colour and detail, and converts light into nerve impulses sent to the brain.

A chemical messenger made by an endocrine gland and carried in the blood to distant cells, where it alters their activity. Hormones act slowly but their effects last longer.

A hormone from the pancreas that lowers blood glucose by helping cells take up sugar and by promoting storage as glycogen. A shortage of it causes diabetes mellitus.

A hormone from the thyroid gland that contains iodine. It sets the pace of the body's chemical activity, influencing growth, heat production and mental alertness.

The stage of life when sex hormones bring about physical changes that make a boy or girl capable of reproduction, along with emotional and social changes.

The monthly shedding of the lining of the uterus through the vagina when no fertilised egg has been implanted. It usually begins at puberty and pauses during pregnancy.

The release of a mature egg from an ovary, roughly midway between two menstrual periods. The egg survives about a day, and pregnancy is most likely around this time.

Deliberate methods used to prevent fertilisation or implantation when a couple does not wish to conceive. Choices include condoms, pills, injectables and sterilisation.

A microorganism - bacterium, virus, fungus or protozoan - that causes disease in a host. Pathogens spread through air, water, food, contact, insects or body fluids.

An organism, usually an insect such as a mosquito, sandfly or housefly, that carries a disease-causing germ from one person or animal to another.

Protecting a person from a disease by giving a vaccine, which trains the body's defences to recognise and attack the germ before a real infection occurs.

Immediate, temporary care given to an injured or suddenly ill person until professional help arrives, aimed at preserving life, preventing worsening and promoting recovery.

A life-saving technique that combines repeated chest compressions with rescue breaths to keep blood and oxygen moving when a person's heart and breathing have stopped.

A drink of clean water, salt and sugar in fixed proportions given to replace fluid lost through diarrhoea and vomiting, preventing dangerous dehydration.

The health checks, advice and care a woman receives during pregnancy to protect her own health and that of the developing baby.

The thick yellowish first milk produced in the days after birth. It is rich in antibodies and protein and protects the newborn from infection.

The gradual introduction of solid foods and other liquids alongside breast milk, usually from about six months, as the baby's needs for energy and iron grow.

The dishonest addition of cheaper or harmful substances to a food or product to increase quantity or profit, such as mixing chalk powder into flour or water into milk.

A symbol on a product showing that it meets an accepted quality or safety standard set by a recognised authority, such as ISI for electrical goods or Agmark for farm produce.

A plan that sets out expected income and intended spending over a period, helping a family or individual live within its means and save for future needs.