2 - Organisation

• Amylase: An enzyme produced in the salivary glands and pancreas that breaks carbohydrates down into simple sugars
• Aorta: The main artery that takes oxygenated blood away from the heart to the body
• Artery: A blood vessel that carries blood at high pressure away from the heart
• Benign tumour: An abnormal cell growth that is contained within one area and does not invade other areas of the body
• Bile: A substance made in the liver and stored in the gallbladder which is used to neutralise stomach acid in the intestine and emulsify fats
• Blood: A tissue containing red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma
• Cancer: A non-communicable disease caused by changes in the cell that lead to uncontrolled growth and division
• Capillary: A very thin blood vessel that is used for exchange of substances
• Cell: The basic building block of all living organisms
• Communicable disease: A disease that can be spread between individuals either directly or indirectly
• Coronary heart disease: A disease caused by the buildup of fatty deposits inside the coronary artery, narrowing it and reducing blood flow to the heart tissue
• Enzymes: Biological catalysts that increase the rate of reactions in living organisms
• Health: The state of physical and mental wellbeing
• Heart: An organ that pumps blood around the body in a double circulatory system
• Lipase: An enzyme that is produced in the pancreas that breaks lipids down into fatty acids and glycerol
• Lock and key hypothesis: A theory that describes how substrates must be the correct shape to fit the active site of an enzyme
• Malignant tumour: A cancerous cell growth that invades neighbouring tissues and can spread to different parts of the body in the blood
• Meristem tissue: Plant tissues containing undifferentiated stem cells
• Metabolism: All of the chemical reactions occurring in an organism
• Non-communicable disease: A disease which cannot be spread between individuals
• Organs: Groups of different tissues performing specific functions
• Organ systems: Groups of organs that work together to form organisms
• Palisade mesophyll: A tissue found in plant leaves that is specialised to carry out photosynthesis
• Phloem: A transport tissue found in plants which is specialised to transport sugars from source to sink
• Protease: An enzyme produced in the stomach and pancreas that breaks proteins down into amino acids
• Pulmonary artery: The main artery that takes deoxygenated blood away from the heart to the lungs
• Pulmonary vein: The main vein that takes oxygenated blood back to the heart from the lungs
• Rate of reaction: The speed at which reactants are converted into products
• Risk factor: Something that increases a person’s risk of developing a disease
• Spongy mesophyll: A tissue found in plant leaves that is specialised for gas exchange
• Statins: A class of drugs that are used to reduce blood cholesterol levels which slows down the rate of fatty material deposit
• Stent: A tube that can be surgically implanted into blood vessels to keep them open
• Tissue: A group of cells with a similar structure and function
• Cells make up all living things.
• A tissue is a group of specialised cells with a similar structure and function.
• Organs are formed from a number of different tissues, working together to produce a specific function.
• Organs are organised into organ systems, which work together to perform a certain function.
• The digestive system is an organ system, as it is made up of organs working together to perform a certain function.
• The food you eat is large and insoluble and needs to be broken down in order for it to be in a form that can be absorbed by cells.
• The digestive system is made up of the following organs: Glands (salivary glands and the pancreas) which produce digestive juices containing enzymes which break down food, The stomach produces hydrochloric acid to kill bacteria and to provide the optimum pH for the protease enzyme to work, The small intestine is where soluble molecules are absorbed into the blood, The liver produces bile which is stored in the gall bladder, which helps with the digestion of lipids, The large intestine absorbs water from undigested food to produce faeces.