Unit 3 Vocabulary

The basic unit of the nervous system that carries nerve impulses.

• Cerebrum

• Neuron

• Cerebellum

• Hormone

The process by which the digestive system breaks down food into molecules that the body can use.

• Pituitary Gland

• Digestion

• Peristalsis

• Hormone

A part of the brain that coordinates movements and balance.

• Atrium

• Cerebrum

• Neuron

• Cerebellum

Waves of muscle contractions that push food through the digestive system.

• Peristalsis

• Digestion

• Mastication

• Hormone

A part of the brain that contains several specialized regions that receive messages from sense organs, and control movement, memory, communication, and reasoning.

• Cerebellum

• Atrium

• Cerebrum

• Ventricles

An endocrine gland in the brain that controls many of the body's functions, including growth, reproduction, and metabolism.

• Pituitary Gland

• Cerebrum

• Hormones

• Atrium

An upper chamber of the heart that receives blood from the rest of the body.

• Arteries

• Capillaries

• Ventricles

• Atrium

A chemical substance produced by an endocrine gland.

• Pituitary Gland

• Hormone

• Capillaries

• Ventricles

A lower chamber of the heart that pumps blood out of the heart.

• Capillaries

• Atrium

• Ventricle

• Plasma

A cell fragment that plays an important role in the blood clotting process.

• Platelets

• Pituitary Gland

• Red blood cells

• Plasma