Body systems

The muscular tube that leads from the cervix of the uterus to the outside of the body; the birth canal.

Relating to the vagina.

The 10th cranial nerve, which runs from the brain stem to the chest and belly and slows the heart and helps digestion.

An abrupt drop in the fetal heart rate of at least 15 beats per minute that lasts at least 15 seconds and less than 2 minutes.

A very contagious infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus; also called chickenpox.

Swollen, twisted veins, most often in the lower esophagus or the stomach, or in the legs.

Swollen, twisted veins of the pampiniform plexus in the spermatic cord, above the testis.

A swollen, twisted vein just under the skin, most often in the legs, in which the valves do not work well.

The muscular tube that carries sperm from the epididymis, up through the spermatic cord and inguinal canal, to the ejaculatory duct.

Relating to blood vessels.

Inflammation of blood vessels.

The narrowing of blood vessels when the muscle in their walls tightens.

The widening of blood vessels as the muscle in their walls relaxes, which lets more blood flow through.

A sudden tightening of the muscle in a blood vessel wall that narrows the vessel and cuts the blood flow.

The largest of the four quadriceps muscles, on the outer front of the thigh, which straightens the knee.

A blood vessel that carries blood back toward the heart.

Failure of the soft palate to close off the nose from the mouth during speech, so air escapes through the nose.

The Latin word for vein, used in names such as vena cava.

One of the two large veins that return oxygen-poor blood from the body to the right atrium of the heart.

Blood in the veins, returning to the heart after it has given up oxygen to the tissues.

A long-term condition in which the leg veins cannot carry blood back to the heart well.

The flow of blood back to the heart through the veins.

Slow or pooled blood flow in the veins, most often in the legs.

Air moving in and out of the lungs as a person breathes.

A lung infection that starts 48 hours or more after a client has been put on a breathing machine through a tube.

On or toward the front, belly side of the body.

One of the two lower chambers of the heart, or one of the fluid-filled spaces inside the brain.

A heart rhythm in which the lower chambers quiver in a fast, chaotic way instead of pumping.

A hole in the wall between the heart's two lower chambers, present from birth.

A fast heart rhythm that starts in the lower chambers of the heart (the ventricles), usually over 100 beats per minute.

A very small vein that collects blood from the capillaries.

The white, creamy, cheese-like coating on a newborn's skin.

One of the bones that stack together to form the spine.

The spine: the column of small bones (vertebrae) that runs down the back and surrounds the spinal cord.

A false feeling that you or the room around you is spinning or moving.

Relating to the urinary bladder.

The backward flow of urine from the bladder up into the ureters and toward the kidneys.

One of the tiny, finger-like folds that line the small intestine and take in nutrients.

An infection of the stomach and intestines caused by a virus, such as norovirus or rotavirus.

An illness caused by a virus, a very small germ that can multiply only inside living cells.

Three conditions that together promote blood clots in vessels: slowed blood flow, damage to the vessel wall, and blood that clots too easily.

Having to do with the internal organs, especially those in the chest and belly.

The layer of peritoneum that covers the abdominal organs, forming the outer coat, the serosa, of the stomach and intestines.

The inner layer of the pleura, a thin membrane that covers the surface of each lung and dips into its fissures.

How clearly and sharply a person can see.

The most air a person can breathe out after the deepest possible breath in.

A fat-soluble vitamin needed for vision, especially in dim light, healthy skin and a working immune system.

A vitamin from animal foods that the body needs to make red blood cells and keep nerves healthy; also called cobalamin.

A water-soluble vitamin in fruits and vegetables that the body needs to make collagen, heal wounds and absorb iron; also called ascorbic acid.

A fat-soluble vitamin that the skin makes in sunlight and that helps the body absorb calcium for strong bones.