B Terms

Question 1

B cell

Answer 1

A lymphocyte that can become a antibody-producing plasma or memory cell

Question 2

Babinski sign

Answer 2

extension of the big toe in response to stimulation of the outer margin of foot sole; normal up to 18 months of age

Question 3

Back

Answer 3

the posterior part of the body, the dorsum

Question 4

ball and socket joint

Answer 4

a synovial joint made of a ball shape that rotates in a cup shape of another bone, aka spheroid joint

Question 5

Baroreceptor

Answer 5

Nerve cell able to respond to changes in blood, air, or fluid pressure

Question 6

basal ganglia

Answer 6

paired clusters of cell bodies, make up the central grey matter of each cerebral hemisphere, aka cerebral nuclei

Question 7

basal metabolic rate (BMR)

Answer 7

metabolic rate as measured when awake, at rest, and fasting

Question 8

base

Answer 8

a nonacid or proton acceptor, characterized by an excess of hydroxide ions and a pH greater than 7

Question 9

basement membrane

Answer 9

thin, extracellular layer between epithelium and connective tissue, made of basal lamina and reticular lamina

Question 10

basilar membrane

Answer 10

an inner ear membrane separating the cochlear duct from the scala tympani on which the spiral organ rests

Question 11

basophil

Answer 11

a type of white blood cell characterized by a pale nucleus and large granules that stain purple-blue with basic dyes

Question 12

belly

Answer 12

the abdomen, or fleshy part of a skeletal muscle

Question 13

benign

Answer 13

favorable for recovery, or mild

Question 14

beta cell

Answer 14

a cell in the pancreatic islets/islets of Langerhans in the pancreas that make insulin

Question 15

bicuspid valve

Answer 15

an atrioventricular valve on left side of heart, aka mitral valve

Question 16

bilateral

Answer 16

pertaining to 2 sides of the body

Question 17

bile

Answer 17

a liver secretion made of water, bile salts, bile pigments, cholesterol, lecithin, and several ions. emulsifies lipids before digestions

Question 18

bilirubin

Answer 18

an orange pigment resulting from hemoglobin breakdown, excreted as waste in the bile

Question 19

biopsy

Answer 19

removal of material from the body for (usually microscopic) examination

Question 20

blastocyst

Answer 20

in embryonic development, a hollow ball of cells

Question 21

blatomere

Answer 21

on of the cells resulting from the cleavage of a fertilized ovum

Question 22

blind spot

Answer 22

area in the retina where there are no photoreceptors due to the optic nerve

Question 23

blood-brain barrier (BBB)

Answer 23

a barrier made of special capillaries and astrocytes the prevents passage of materials into the cerebrospinal fluid and brain

Question 24

blood-testis barrier (BTB)

Answer 24

a barrier made of Sertoli cells to prevent the an immune response against spermatogenic cells

Question 25

body fluid

Answer 25

body water and its disolved substances, is about 60% of total body weight

Question 26

bolus

Answer 26

a soft, rounded mass, usually food, that is swallowed

Question 27

brachial plexus

Answer 27

a network of nerve axons of the anterior rami of nerves C5, C6, C7, C8, and T1. supply the upper limb

Question 28

bradycardia

Answer 28

a slow (under 60 bpm) heart rate

Question 29

broad ligament

Answer 29

a double fold of parietal peritoneum attaching uterus to pelvic cavity side

Question 30

Broca's area

Answer 30

motor area of the brain in the frontal lobe that translates thought into speech

Question 31

bronchial tree

Answer 31

the trachea, bronchi, and their branching structures up to and including the terminal bronchioles

Question 32

bronchioles

Answer 32

branches of the bronchi

Question 33

bronchitis

Answer 33

inflammation of the bronchi causing too much mucus production and a cough

Question 34

bronchoscopy

Answer 34

visual examination of the interior of the trachea and bronchi

Question 35

buccal

Answer 35

pertaining to the cheek or mouth

Question 36

buffer system

Answer 36

a pair of chemicals the resist changes in pH

Question 37

bulbourethral gland

Answer 37

on of a pair of glands located inferior to the prostate gland the secrete an alkaline fluid into the cavernous urethra

Question 38

bulk flow

Answer 38

the movement of a large number of ions, molecules, or particles in the same direction due to pressure changes

Question 39

bundle branch

Answer 39

one of 2 atrioventricular bundle branches made of specialized muscle fibers to transmit electrical signals to the ventricles

Question 40

Bursa

Answer 40

a sac of synovial fluid located at friction point, especially about joints