Asvab General Science - Human Physiology

Front 1

tissues

Back 1

groups of organized cells

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organs

Back 2

are formed by various tissues working together

Front 3

organ system

Back 3

organs working together

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muscular system

Back 4

helps you make body movements and supports the body in its activities

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involuntary muscles

Back 5

e.g. those that control breathing, your heart breathing & your digestive process

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skeletal muscles

Back 6

help move bones

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tendons

Back 7

tissue that connects muscle to bone

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skeletal muscles

Back 8

help move bones

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cardiac muscle

Back 9

is found in the heart

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smooth muscles

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found in some of your internal organs such as your intestines & bladder

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skeletal system

Back 11

provides a rigid framework for organs & protects your inner organs

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exoskeleton

Back 12

when the skeleton is on the outside of the body

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endoskeleton

Back 13

made up of bone & cartilage. muscles are on the outside

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cartilage

Back 14

e.g. trachea, nose & ears

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musculoskeletal system

Back 15

skeleton & muscles function together

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osteoblasts

Back 16

bone-forming cells

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joints

Back 17

places where your bones come together & move at
e.g. ball & socket - shoulder & hip
pivot joints - elbow
hinge joings - knee

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ligaments

Back 18

bands of tissue that hold joint together

Front 19

integumentary system

Back 19

skin or integument.
your outermost protective layer

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sweat glands

Back 20

help regulate body temperature.
move perspiration or sweat onto the skin, where evaporation takes place & cools the skin

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epidermis

Back 21

outer, thinner layer of skin

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dermis

Back 22

second layer of skin. contains blood vessels, nerves, muscles, oil & sweat glands

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fat

Back 23

third layer of skin (underneath the dermis)
this is where a lot of fat is stored as you gain weight

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melanin

Back 24

where skin gets its color.
the darker the skin the more melanin the skin has

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respiratory system

Back 25

takes in oxygen & moves out waste material of carbon dioxide

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nasal cavity

Back 26

air we breathe in passes through this

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pharynx

Back 27

connects the mouth & nasal passage to the exophagus.

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epiglottis

Back 28

prevents food from entering the trachea

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trachea

Back 29

extends from the larynx to the bronchi, serving as the principal passsage for conveying air to and from the lungs

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bronchi

Back 30

carries air in & out of the lungs. they are lined with epithelium & muscle producing cells.
branch into smaller tubes called bronchioles

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epithelium

Back 31

line the bronchi

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bronchioles

Back 32

the bronchi branch into smaller & smaller tubes known as bronchioles.

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alveoli

Back 33

the bronchioles terminate in little sacks known as alveoli.

Alveoli are surrounded by a thin network of capillaries.

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breathing

Back 34

is the physical action of moving the diaphragm up & down

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respiration

Back 35

is how our bodies use the oxygen from the air we inhale & eliminate the carbon dioxide when we exhale

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stomach

Back 36

sac or bag. breaks down food by both mechanical & chemical means.
releases enzymes & hydrochloric acid

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peristalsis

Back 37

waves of muscle contractions to fix/move food

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duodenum

Back 38

the upper part of the small intestine. this is where most digestion takes place.

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bile

Back 39

introduced from your liver. bile breaks up fat particles

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pancreatic fluid

Back 40

promotes the chemical digestion of carbohydrates, proteins and fats

Front 41

Back 41

the sketal system

Front 42

Back 42

the respiratory system

Front 43

Back 43

the digestive system

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Back 44

the human heart

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Back 45

flow of blood through heart

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Back 46

blood types

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Back 47

the brain

Front 48

Back 48

nerve cells

Front 49

Back 49

the endocrine system

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Back 50

the eye

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Back 51

the ear

Front 52

circulatory system

Back 52

one of the transportation systems in your body. Its main job is too move oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients, waste products, immune components and hormones through your body

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circulation

Back 53

the process of blood flowing around the body

Front 54

list the main components of the circulatory system

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heart, arteries, capillaries & veins

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coronary circulation

Back 55

the circulation of blood within the heart itself by the coronary veins and arteries

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pulmonary circulation

Back 56

is the flow of blood from the heart to the lungs and back

Front 57

systemic circulation

Back 57

is the blood (with oxygen) moving through your body to your important organs

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ventricles

Back 58

the two lower chambers of the heart. when your heart beats the two ventricles contract at the same time

Front 59

atriums

Back 59

the two upper chambers of the heart. blood flows from an atrium to a ventricle and the from the ventricle to a blood vessle

Front 60

pulmonary valves

Back 60

keep the blood from flowing backwards

Front 61

pulmonary artery

Back 61

takes blood AWAY from the heart where it picks up oxygen & eliminates waste (carbon dioxide)

Front 62

aorta

Back 62

the biggest artery in the heart. fresh blood from the aorta goes to various parts of your body including the brain, which needs a constant supply of oxygen

Front 63

blood

Back 63

transports oxygen from the lungs to body tissues and carbon dioxide from the body tissues to the lungs. it also transports disease-fighting substances to the tissue and waste to the kidneys

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red blood cells

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shaped like disks and contain hemoglobin, which carries oxygen and carbon dioxide. they do NOT have a nucleus

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white blood cells

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fight bacteria, viruses and other intruders in your body

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platelets

Back 66

plug holdes in small blood vessels to stop bleeding. they are carried by the red & white blood cells

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plasma

Back 67

fluid that carries blood cells, platelets, nutrients, minerals, oxygen, waste products etc.
makes up 55% of the body's volume

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antigens

Back 68

a chemical tag that attaches to blood type A, B & AB

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lymphatic system

Back 69

absorbs excess fluids from the body & returns them to the bloodstream. it also absorbs fat & transports it to the heart

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lymphocytes

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a type of white blood cell that tries to destroy disease-causing organisms

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lymph

Back 71

a fluid that passes through the lymph nodes to remove microorganisms & foreign materials

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lymphocytes

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fill the lympth nodes when you are sick with an infection. they are made by the thymus

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list the organs part of the lymphatic system

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tonsils, thymus & the spleen

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tonsils

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help keep out invaders that try to come in through your nose and mouth

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thymus

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makes lymphocytes

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spleen

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filters the bolld and removes worn-out or damaged red blood cells. cells in the spleen destroy bacteria & other invaders

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pathogens

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defend our body from invaders like microorganisms & viruses. they can enter through your mouth, nose & eyes

Front 78

list the first-line immune defenses

Back 78

skin and your respiratory, digestive & circulatory systems

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cilia

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little hairlike structures to trap pathogens

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mucus

Back 80

used by the respiratory system to trap pathogens

Front 81

list what the digestive system uses for immunity defense

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saliva, enzymes, hydrochloric acid and other substances to get rid of bacteria

Front 82

list what the circulatory system uses for immunity defense

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white blood cells

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antigens

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molecules that are foreign to your body

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T cells

Back 84

a type of lymphocyte that attacks foreign molecules. stimulate other lymphocytes called B cells to form antibodies

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B Cells

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form antibodies. antibodies are moade in response to a specific antigen

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active immunity

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antibodies that stay in your body to keep watch for the pathogen it was created for. e.g. this is why you only get some diseases once - like chicken pox

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passive immunity

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occurs when you are vaccinated against a disease

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vaccination

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injects a type of antigen that gives you active immunity against the disease by stimulating the production of antibodies.

they are specific to one kind of virus or bacteria

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antibiotics

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can cure some bacterial diseases but not viral diseases

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excretory system

Back 90

removes undigested material through the digestive system & removes waste gases through the circulatory & respiratory systems. it removes salts through the skin when we sweat. it removes excess water/waste through the urinary system

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urinary system

Back 91

is responsible for maintaining the fluid levels in our bodies

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kidneys

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two bean-shaped organs that are responsible for filtering blood that contains waste from the cells

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nephrons

Back 93

tiny filtering units that purify the blood. once the blood has been purified it is returned to the circulatory system. the leftover water from this process is called water

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bladder

Back 94

collects urine & then eliminates it through the urethra

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nervous system

Back 95

coordinates & controls such actions as memory, learning and conscious thought, also maintains functions as heartbeat, breathing, and control of involuntary muscle actions

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brain

Back 96

the largest organ in the nervous system. it sends & receives message through a network of nerves

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neurons

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a cell that carries messages between the brain and other parts of the body

Front 98

list the three major parts of the brain

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cerebrum, cerebellum & the brain stem

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cerebrum

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the largest part of the brain. it takes care of our thinking processes

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cortex

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the outer layer of the cerebrum and has a lot of ridges & grooves

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cerebellum

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the second-largest part of the brain. its job is to coordinate our muscle movements & maintain normal muscle tone & posture. the cerebellum coordinates our balance while walking, riding a bike etc

Front 102

list the parts of the brain stem

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the midbrain, the pons & the medulla

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medulla

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coordinates the heartbeat, breathing, blood pressure & the reflex centers for vomiting, coughing, sneezing, swallowing etc

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what do the midbrain & pons do

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coordinate various parts of the brain so that it acts together

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hypothalamus

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regulates thirst, hunger, body temperature, water balance, blood pressure & links the nervous system to the endocrine system

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spinal cord

Back 106

a thick bundle of nerves running down the center of the spine. It is protected by a column of vertebrae

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peripheral nervous system

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connects the central nervous system to the rest of the body. it is made up of the somatic system & the autonomic system

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somatic system

Back 108

controls voluntary movements, like walking, running and swiveling your hip

Front 109

autonomic system

Back 109

controls involuntary movements such as heartbeat, breathing, digestion & so on

Front 110

nerve cells

Back 110

transport messages through the nervous system. contain dendrites, cell body, axon & synapses

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dendrites

Back 111

the spider-like that come out of the cell body of a nerve cell

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axon

Back 112

the lone fiber of a nerve cell that connects the cell body to the synapses. nerve signals travel in one direction only along the axon & jump across synapses to other nerve cells

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synapses

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the spaces between the nerve cells.

Front 114

what hormones does the pituitary gland produce

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growth, follicle-stimulating (FSH), Thyroid-stimulating (TSH), prolactin, vasopressin, adrenocorticotropic (ACTH) hormone

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growth hormone

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stimulates the growth of muscles and bones

Front 116

follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)

Back 116

hormone that stimulates the growth of reproductive organs, such as the ovaries & testes

Front 117

thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)

Back 117

hormone that stimulates the thyroid gland, which controls metabolism

Front 118

prolactin

Back 118

hormone that stimulates the secretion of milk

Front 119

vasopressin

Back 119

hormone that helps the kidneys absorb water

Front 120

Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)

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hormone that stimulates the adrenal cortex

Front 121

what hormone does the thyroid produce

Back 121

thyroxin

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thyroxin

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hormone that regulates metabolism

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what hormone does the parathyroid produce

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parathyroid hormone

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parathyroid hormone

Back 124

increases the concentration of the calcium in the blood

Front 125

what hormone does the adrenal cortex produce

Back 125

aldosterone

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aldosterone

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hormone that helps the kidneys absorb water and sodium

Front 127

what hormones does the adrenal medulla produce

Back 127

epinephrine & norepinephrine

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epinephrine & norepinephrine

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hormones that get the body ready for strenuous activity by increasing the concentration of blood sugar

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what hormones does the pancreas make

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insulin & glucagon

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insulin

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hormone that regulates the amount of sugar in the blood

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glucagon

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hormone that increases the amount of sugar in the blood

Front 132

what hormones do the ovaries produce

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estrogen & progesterone

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estrogen

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hormone that promotes female secondary sex characteristics

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progesterone

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hormone that thickens the endometrial lining

Front 135

endometrial lining

Back 135

the mucous membrane lining the uterus

Front 136

testes

Back 136

produce testosterone which promotes male secondary sex characteristics

Front 137

endocrine glands

Back 137

secrete hormones that regulate body metabolism, growth & reproduction. they communicate through chemical message transported by the circulatory system

Front 138

list the glands of the endocrine system

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pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, thymus, adrenal, pancreas, ovary & testes

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gonads

Back 139

produce gametes. male gonads are the testes & the female gonads are the ovaries

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testes

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male gonades that produce sperm and male sex hormones

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ovaries

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produce eggs (ova) and female sex hormones

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flagellum

Back 142

the whiplike tail of the sperm

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fertilization

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each egg or sperm contains 23 chromosomes. these chromosomes carry DNA which determines the person's traits or characteristics

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meiosis

Back 144

the process by which sex cells divide. the nucleus divides twice forming four cells, each with 23 chromosomes

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what are the senses

Back 145

sight, hearing, touch, taste & smell

Front 146

list the steps in which light waves enter the eye

Back 146

1. first through the cornea
2. then through the pupil
3. brought into convergence by cornea
4. brought into convergence by lens
5. lens directs light through vitreous humor
6. then onto the retina
7. light waves are changed to electrical signals & then sent along the optic nerve to the brain

Front 147

cornea

Back 147

the clear outer covering of the eyeball

Front 148

pupil

Back 148

the contractile aperture in the iris of the eye

Front 149

vitreous humor

Back 149

the clear colorless transparent jelly that fills the eyeball behind the lens

Front 150

list the cells in the retina & what they do

Back 150

rods - detect light intensity
cones - respond to color

Front 151

nearsightedness

Back 151

people who have trouble seeing distant objects. can have their vision corrected with a concave lens

Front 152

farsightedness

Back 152

people who have trouble seeing things that are close up. can have their vision correct with a convex lens

Front 153

what is sound

Back 153

vibrating air. vibration air creates sound waves. these waves can pass through solids, liquids & gases

Front 154

ear

Back 154

make up of several different parts, each contributing to the process of transforming sound waves into signals

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what are the three basic sections of the ear

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outer ear, middle ear & inner ear

Front 156

outer ear

Back 156

traps sound waves and sends them down the ear canal to the middle ear

Front 157

middle ear

Back 157

the eardrum creates a vibration. the vibration then moves to tiny specialized bones called the hammer, anvil & stirrup

Front 158

stirrup bone

Back 158

rests against a membrane in the inner ear

Front 159

cochlea

Back 159

located in the inner ear, it is filled with fluid & shaped like a snail. the cochlea vibrates when the stirrup vibrates - bending little hairs in the cochlea. the vibrating hairs send electrical signals to the brain, which in turn translates the signals into various sounds

Front 160

olfactory cells

Back 160

nerve cells in your nose. the olfactory cells are moist from mucus. molecules are dissolved in the mucus & if there are a sufficient number of these molecules, a signal is sent to the brain

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taste buds

Back 161

there are about 10,000 taste buds in your tongue. the mixture of saliva & food washes over your taste buds and stimulates the nerve fibers in the taste bud

Front 162

touch

Back 162

your skin has receptors allwoing your to determine if something is hot, cold, rough, smooth, painful, hard, soft etc.

Front 163

alleles

Back 163

different forms of a gene
e.g. hair color

dominant alleles are are indicated with a capitol letter

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mutations

Back 164

errors in mitosis & meiosis
e.g. four leaf clover

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genotype

Back 165

genetic makeup of the organism

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phenotype

Back 166

how the organism looks.

e.g. if you have blond hair, that is your phenotype

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homozygous

Back 167

an organism that has two alleles that are the same
e.g. BB or Bb

Front 168

heterozygous

Back 168

an organism that has one allele that is dominant & one that is recessive

Front 169

Punnett Square

Back 169

help to determine the probability that an offspring will have certain characteristics

Front 170

list the six types of nutrients

Back 170

proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals & water

Front 171

proteins

Back 171

are used by the body for replacement, repair of body cells & for growth. they are made up of amino acids

Front 172

list the three types of carbohydrates

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good source of energy for your body

1. sugar (simple)
2. fiber (complex)
3. starch (complex)

Front 173

examples of complex carbohydrates

Back 173

potatoes, pasta, beans, breads

Front 174

fats

Back 174

provide energy & help absorb vitamins. contains twice as much energy as carbohydrates

Front 175

vitamins

Back 175

nutrients that are needed for certain bodily functions and for preventing some diseases

Front 176

examples of water-soluble vitamins

Back 176

B & C
they need to be taken right away

Front 177

fat-soluble vitamins

Back 177

stored in fat cells.
e.g. A, D, E & K

Front 178

minerals

Back 178

regulate the chemical reactions in your body

Front 179

vitamin B

Back 179

helps in growth, use of carbohydrates, red blood cell production, and development of a healthy nervous system.

where to get it: wheat germ, whole-grain cereals, poultry, eggs, fish, dairy products, green vegetables, pasta

Front 180

vitamin A

Back 180

helps in growth, eyesight, and healthy skin.

where to get it: fish and liver, green and yellow fruits and vegetables

Front 181

vitamin E

Back 181

helps in the formation of cell membranes

where to get it: vegetable oils, whole grains, nuts and seeds, green vegetables

Front 182

vitamin C

Back 182

helps with growth, good bones and teeth, and wound healing

where to get it: citrus fruits, tomatoes, vegetables, strawberries

Front 183

vitamin D

Back 183

helps in absorption of calcium and phosphorus in bones and teeth

where to get it: milk, eggs, cheese

Front 184

vitamin K

Back 184

helps with the clotting of blood and wound healing

where to get it: green vegetables, vegetable oils, pork, liver, egg yolks

Front 185

Calcium

Back 185

creates strong bones and teeth, good muscle and nerve activity

where to get it: milk, yogurt, green vegetables, soy

Front 186

Phosphorus

Back 186

creates strong bones and teeth, regulates contraction of muscles

where to get it: cheese, meat, cereal

Front 187

potassium

Back 187

regulates water balance in cells, muscle contraction, nerve impulse conduction

where to get it: bananas, potatoes, oranges, nuts, meat

Front 188

sodium

Back 188

regulates fluid balance in tissues, nerve impulse conduction

where to get it: meat, milk, cheese, beets, carrots, salt, most prepared foods

Front 189

iron

Back 189

transports oxygen in red blood cells

where to get it: red meat, raisins, beans, spinach, eggs

Front 190

iodine

Back 190

controls thyroid activity, metabolic stimulation

where to get it: seafood, iodized salt