Anatomy and Physiology of Animals/Glossary/E-F
A-B | C-D | E-F | G-H | I-J | K-L | M-N | O-P | Q,R,S | T,U,V,W,X,Y,Z
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| E | |
| Echolocation | The use of high frequency sound like sonar and radar by animals (i.e. whales and bats) to locate objects in the surrounding environment |
| Effector | A muscle or gland that responds to a motor neuron impulse |
| Egestion | The elimination of indigestible waste products from the body |
| Electrolyte | A compound that separates into charged particles or ions |
| Electron microscope | A microscope that focuses an electron beam through a specimen, resulting in resolving power a thousandfold greater than that of a light microscope |
| Element | Any substance that cannot be broken down to any other substance |
| Embryo | The young of any organism in an early stage of development |
| Emulsification | The breakdown of large fat particles to smaller ones in the presence of bile |
| Enamel | The hard white substance covering the crown of teeth |
| Endocrine gland | A ductless gland that secretes hormones into the blood |
| Endometrium | The inner lining of the uterus |
| Endoplasmic reticulum | The network of membranous channels running through the cytoplasm of cells |
| Endothelium | The layer of squamous epithelium that lines blood vessels |
| Enzyme | A substance that increases the speed of a chemical reaction |
| Eosinophil | A white blood cell with granules in the cytoplasm |
| Epidermis | The thin outer layer of the skin |
| Epididymis | The organ composed of convoluted tubules that lies on the border of the testis Where sperm mature |
| Epiglottis | The cartilage on the top of the larynx that closes the windpipe during swallowing |
| Epiphyseal line | The remnant of epiphyseal plate at end of long bone |
| Epiphyseal plate | The cartilaginous plate at the end of a long bone where bone growth occurs |
| Epiphysis | The end of a long bone |
| Epithelial tissue | Tissue that forms outer part of skin, lines blood vessels, hollow organs and passages in the body |
| Erythrocyte | A red blood cell |
| Essential amino acids | The 10 amino acids that can not be made by animals and must be acquired in the diet |
| Eustachian tube | The passage connecting middle ear to pharynx. Equalises air pressure in middle and outer ear |
| Evolution | All the changes that have transformed life on Earth from its earliest beginnings to the diversity that characterizes it today |
| Excretion | To cast out material from the body, cell or tissue |
| Exocrine gland | A gland that secretes substances into a duct |
| Exocytosis | The discharge of substances through the plasma membrane |
| Expiration | Breathing out |
| Extension | Bending of a joint so that the angle between the bones increases |
| Extracellular fluid | Fluid outside body cells |
| F | |
| Facilitated diffusion | Diffusion across a membrane using a carrier substance |
| Fallopian tube | A slender tube through which eggs pass from an ovary to the uterus |
| Fats | Biological compounds consisting of three fatty acids linked to one
glycerol molecule |
| Feedback system | The sequence of events where information about the status of a situation is
continually fed back to the central control region |
| Femur | The long bone between the pelvis and the knee |
| Fertilisation | Penetration of ovum by sperm and union of nuclei |
| Fetlock | The joint between the metacarpals or metatarsals and the phalanges in horse |
| Fibrin | The insoluble protein formed from fibrinogen |
| Fibrinogen | The protein in blood plasma essential for blood clotting |
| Fibula | The lateral bone of the lower hind limb |
| Filtrate | The fluid produced by filtration of blood in the nephron |
| Flagellum | A long hair like process e.g. tail of sperm |
| Flexion | The movement involving decreasing the angle between two bones |
| Fluoroxylate | An anticoagulant used for biochemical tests for glucose |
| Foetus | Later stage of development of a young animal |
| Follicle | The cavity surrounding the developing ovum |
| Follicle stimulating
hormone (FSH) |
Hormone secreted by anterior pituitary gland. Stimulates development of ovarian follicle |
| Foramen | A hole in a bone for passage of vessels or nerves |
| Foramen magnum | The hole at the base of the skull for passage of the spinal cord |
| Fossa | A furrow or shallow depression in a bone |
| Fovea | The area of the retina of greatest concentration of cone cells. Area of sharpest vision |
| Functional caecum | The enlarged large intestine and caecum occupied by cellulose digesting micro-organisms |