Human Anatomy Terms
Human anatomy describes the structure of the body, from tissues to organs and organ systems. These terms cover the skeleton and its connective tissues, the heart and great vessels, the airway and digestive tract, the kidneys, the spinal cord and nerves, and the endocrine glands.
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A
- Adrenal glandHuman AnatomyAn adrenal gland is one of two small endocrine glands atop the kidneys, with a cortex that makes steroid hormones and a medulla that makes epinephrine.
- AlveolusPhysiologyAn alveolus is one of the tiny air sacs at the end of the lung's airways, where oxygen passes into the blood and carbon dioxide passes out.
- AmygdalaNeuroscienceThe amygdala is an almond-shaped cluster of nuclei deep in each temporal lobe that processes emotion, especially fear, and colors memories with feeling.
- AortaHuman AnatomyThe aorta is the body's largest artery, carrying oxygenated blood out of the heart's left ventricle to the arteries that supply every organ.
B
- BoneHuman AnatomyBone is the hard, mineralized connective tissue that makes up most of the adult skeleton, and the name for each skeletal organ built from it.
- Brachial plexusHuman AnatomyThe brachial plexus is the network of nerves formed from spinal nerves C5 to T1 that supplies movement and feeling to the shoulder, arm and hand.
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- CartilageHuman AnatomyCartilage is a tough, flexible connective tissue without blood vessels that cushions joints and shapes the nose, ears and airways.
- Central nervous systemNeuroscienceThe central nervous system is the brain and spinal cord, the part of the nervous system that takes in sensory input, integrates it and sends out commands.
- CerebellumNeuroscienceThe cerebellum is the folded hindbrain structure below the cerebrum that coordinates movement, balance and posture and helps us learn motor skills.
- Cerebral cortexNeuroscienceThe cerebral cortex is the thin, folded layer of gray matter covering the cerebrum, where perception, movement, language and thought are processed.
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- Endocrine systemPhysiologyThe endocrine system is the set of glands and cells that release hormones into the blood to regulate growth, metabolism, reproduction and more.
- EsophagusHuman AnatomyThe esophagus is the muscular tube, about 25 centimeters long, that carries swallowed food and liquid from the pharynx down to the stomach.
F
- FemurHuman AnatomyThe femur is the thigh bone, the longest and strongest bone in the human body, running from the hip joint down to the knee.
- FertilizationDevelopmental BiologyFertilization is the fusion of a sperm and an egg, the male and female gametes, into a single diploid cell, the zygote, that can develop into a new organism.
- Frontal lobeNeuroscienceThe frontal lobe is the front part of each cerebral hemisphere, in charge of voluntary movement, speech production, planning, judgment and personality.
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H
- HeartHuman AnatomyThe heart is the hollow, muscular organ in the chest whose four chambers pump blood through the lungs and then around the rest of the body.
- HippocampusNeuroscienceThe hippocampus is a curved structure deep in each temporal lobe of the brain that is essential for forming new memories and finding our way around.
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- JejunumHuman AnatomyThe jejunum is the middle stretch of the small intestine, lying between the duodenum and ileum, and a main site where digested nutrients are absorbed.
- Jugular veinHuman AnatomyA jugular vein is one of the large paired veins in the neck that return blood from the brain, face and scalp toward the heart.
- Juxtaglomerular apparatusPhysiologyThe juxtaglomerular apparatus is a cluster of specialized kidney cells beside each glomerulus that senses salt and blood pressure and releases renin.
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- LaparoscopySurgeryLaparoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that passes a thin camera, the laparoscope, through a small cut to view and operate inside the abdomen or pelvis.
- LarynxHuman AnatomyThe larynx, or voice box, is the cartilage-framed passage in the neck between the pharynx and trachea that guards the airway and produces the voice.
- LigamentHuman AnatomyA ligament is a band of tough, fibrous connective tissue that joins one bone to another and keeps a joint stable while letting it move.
- LiverHuman AnatomyThe liver is the largest gland and internal organ, lying in the upper right abdomen, where it makes bile, processes nutrients and clears toxins.
- Lymph nodeImmunologyA lymph node is a small, bean-shaped organ of the lymphatic system that filters lymph and is where lymphocytes meet antigens to start immune responses.
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P
- PancreasHuman AnatomyThe pancreas is a gland behind the stomach that sends digestive enzymes to the small intestine and releases insulin and glucagon into the blood.
- PharynxHuman AnatomyThe pharynx, or throat, is the muscular tube behind the nose and mouth that carries air to the larynx and food to the esophagus.
- Pituitary glandHuman AnatomyThe pituitary gland is a pea-sized endocrine gland below the brain that, under hypothalamic control, releases hormones governing growth and other glands.
- PlateletPhysiologyA platelet is a small cell fragment in the blood that helps stop bleeding by plugging damaged vessels and helping a blood clot form.
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- Skeletal muscleHuman AnatomySkeletal muscle is the striated, voluntary muscle tissue attached to bones by tendons that moves the body, holds posture and produces heat.
- Small intestineHuman AnatomyThe small intestine is the long, coiled tube between the stomach and the large intestine where most digestion and nearly all nutrient absorption happen.
- Spinal cordHuman AnatomyThe spinal cord is the column of nerve tissue in the vertebral canal that relays signals between the brain and the body and runs many reflexes.
- StomachHuman AnatomyThe stomach is a J-shaped, muscular sac of the digestive tract that stores food, churns it with acid and enzymes, and starts the digestion of protein.
- SutureSurgeryIn surgery, a suture is a stitch, or the thread used to make it, that holds the edges of a wound or incision together while the tissue heals.
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- TendonHuman AnatomyA tendon is a tough cord of dense connective tissue linking a muscle to a bone, which passes on the muscle's pull to move it.
- Thyroid glandHuman AnatomyThe thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped endocrine gland in the front of the neck whose iodine-containing hormones set the body's metabolic rate.
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