Cells, Organs & Tissues, HYP-MEI
Even if you feel you have nothing in common with a stinkbug or a ficus, you're guaranteed to share one crucial aspect of life with these beings: you are all made up of cells, the fundamental molecules of life, of which all living things are composed. As an individual unit, the cell is capable of metabolizing its own nutrients, synthesizing many types of molecules, providing its own energy, and replicating itself. In a multicellular organism, cooperative assemblies of similar cells form tissues, and a cooperation between tissues in turn forms organs, which carry out the functions necessary to sustain the life of an organism.
Cells, Organs & Tissues Encyclopedia Articles By Title
hypothalamus, region of the brain lying below the thalamus and making up the floor of the third cerebral ventricle.......
Louis Ignarro is an American pharmacologist who, along with Robert F. Furchgott and Ferid Murad, was co-awarded......
Ii blood group system, classification of human blood based on the presence of antigens I and i on the surface of......
ileum, the final and longest segment of the small intestine. It is specifically responsible for the absorption......
iliocostalis muscle, any of the deep muscles of the back that, as part of the erector spinae (sacrospinalis) muscle......
immune system, the complex group of defense responses found in humans and other advanced vertebrates that helps......
- Introduction
- Interferons, Antibodies, Cells
- Macrophages, Antigens, Defense
- Lymphocytes, Antigens, Immunity
- Antigens, Cells, Receptors
- Lymphocytes, Diversity, Adaptive
- IgA, IgG, IgM
- T Cells, Antigens, Receptors
- T Cells, B Cells, Activation
- Antibodies, Mediated, Mechanisms
- Killer Cells, Antigens, Defense
- Cancer Immunity, T-cells, Antigens
- Evolution, Defense, Adaptation
immunization, process by which resistance to disease is acquired or induced in plants and animals. This discussion......
incubation, the maintenance of uniform conditions of temperature and humidity to ensure the development of eggs......
induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS cell), immature cell that is generated from an adult (mature) cell and that......
inner ear, part of the ear that contains organs of the senses of hearing and equilibrium. The bony labyrinth, a......
integument, in biology, network of features that forms the covering of an organism. The integument delimits the......
- Introduction
- Invertebrate Groups, Structure, Function
- Parasites, Adaptations, Protection
- Exoskeleton, Cuticle, Segmentation
- Hair, Glands, Nails
- Epidermal, Scales, Reptiles
- Skin, Hair, Glands
- Fish Scales, Skin, Protection
- Reptiles, Scales, Skin
- Skin, Hair, Sweat Glands
- Embryology, Evolution, Protection
intercostalis muscle, in human physiology, any of a series of short muscles that extend between the ribs and serve......
intestinal gas, material contained within the digestive tract that consists principally of swallowed air and partly......
intestinal juice, clear to pale yellow, watery secretion composed of hormones, digestive enzymes, mucus, and neutralizing......
intestine, tubular part of the alimentary canal that extends from the stomach to the anus. The intestine is the......
intracellular fluid, substance within living cells that is made up primarily of water and molecules such as dissolved......
ion channel, protein expressed by virtually all living cells that creates a pathway for charged ions from dissolved......
iris, in anatomy, the colored muscular part of the eye surrounding the pupil, the small black opening in the center.......
ivory, variety of dentin of which the tusk of the elephant is composed and which is prized for its beauty, durability,......
Jacobson’s organ, an organ of chemoreception that is part of the olfactory system of amphibians, reptiles, and......
jaw, either of a pair of bones that form the framework of the mouth of vertebrate animals, usually containing teeth......
Elvin M. Jellinek was an American physiologist who was a pioneer in the scientific study of alcoholism. Jellinek......
Sir William Jenner, 1st Baronet was a physician and anatomist best known for his clinico-pathologic distinction......
joint, in anatomy, a structure that separates two or more adjacent elements of the skeletal system. Depending on......
David Julius is an American physiologist known for his discovery of heat- and cold-sensing receptors in the nerve......
karyotype, visual representation of the complete set of chromosomes in a cell. In a karyotype, the chromosomes,......
Sir Bernard Katz was a German-born British physiologist who investigated the functioning of nerves and muscles.......
William Williams Keen was the doctor who was the United States’ first brain surgeon. After graduating (M.D., 1862)......
Kell blood group system, classification of human blood based on the presence on the surfaces of red blood cells......
keratin, fibrous structural protein of hair, nails, horn, hoofs, wool, feathers, and of the epithelial cells in......
Richard Darwin Keynes was a British physiologist who was among the first in Britain to trace the movements of sodium......
Kidd blood group system, classification of human blood based on the presence of glycoproteins known as Kidd (Jk)......
kidney, in vertebrates and some invertebrates, organ that maintains water balance and expels metabolic wastes.......
kinocilium, filamentous structure occurring on auditory hair cells in the inner ear that functions in the development......
knee, hinge joint that is formed by the meeting of the thigh bone (femur) and the larger bone (tibia) of the lower......
knuckle, the joint of a finger. The knuckle joint of an animal killed for eating is the tarsal or carpal joint......
Carl Koller was a Czech-born American ophthalmic surgeon whose introduction of cocaine as a surface anesthetic......
August Krogh was a Danish physiologist who received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1920 for his......
Kupffer cell, any of the stellate (star-shaped) cells in the linings of the liver sinusoids. The sinusoids are......
Rudolf Albert von Kölliker was a Swiss embryologist and histologist, one of the first to interpret tissue structure......
labour, in human physiology, the physical activity experienced by the mother during parturition (q.v.), or...
labyrinthodont, a type of tooth made up of infolded enamel that provides a grooved and strongly reinforced structure.......
lactation, secretion and yielding of milk by females after giving birth. The milk is produced by the mammary glands,......
lacteal, one of the lymphatic vessels that serve the small intestine and, after a meal, become white from the minute......
islets of Langerhans, irregularly shaped patches of endocrine tissue located within the pancreas of most vertebrates.......
large intestine, posterior section of the intestine, consisting typically of four regions: the cecum, colon, rectum,......
larynx, a hollow, tubular structure connected to the top of the windpipe (trachea); air passes through the larynx......
lateral line system, a system of tactile sense organs, unique to aquatic vertebrates from cyclostome fishes (lampreys......
laterality, in biological psychology, the development of specialized functioning in each hemisphere of the brain......
latex, colloidal suspension, either the milky white liquid emulsion found in the cells of certain flowering plants......
latissimus dorsi, widest and most powerful muscle of the back. It is a large, flat, triangular muscle covering......
Pyotr Petrovich Lazarev was a Soviet physicist and biophysicist known for his physicochemical theory of the movement......
leaf, in botany, any usually flattened green outgrowth from the stem of a vascular plant. As the primary sites......
leaf fibre, hard, coarse fibre obtained from leaves of monocotyledonous plants (flowering plants that usually have......
lecanemab, human monoclonal antibody used for the treatment of Alzheimer disease. Lecanemab clears away and blocks......
lens, in anatomy, a nearly transparent biconvex structure suspended behind the iris of the eye, the sole function......
leptin receptor, molecule that receives and transmits signals from leptin, a hormone released from fat cells that......
levator muscle, any of the muscles that raise a body part. In humans these include the levator anguli oris, which......
levonorgestrel, synthetic progestogen (any progestational steroid, such as progesterone) that is used as a form......
Lewis blood group system, classification of human blood based on the expression of glycoproteins called Lewis (Le)......
ligament, tough fibrous band of connective tissue that serves to support the internal organs and hold bones together......
lignin, complex oxygen-containing organic polymer that, with cellulose, forms the chief constituent of wood. It......
limbic system, group of structures in the brain that governs emotions, motivation, olfaction (sense of smell),......
lips, soft pliable anatomical structures that form the mouth margin of most vertebrates, composed of a surface......
liver, the largest gland in the body, a spongy mass of wedge-shaped lobes that has many metabolic and secretory......
Jacques Loeb was a German-born American biologist noted chiefly for his experimental work on artificial parthenogenesis......
loop of Henle, long U-shaped portion of the tubule that conducts urine within each nephron of the kidney of reptiles,......
lorica, a tubular, conical, or vaselike structure secreted by some protozoans (e.g., Stentor) and many rotifers.......
Carl F.W. Ludwig was a founder of the physicochemical school of physiology in Germany. A professor of physiology......
lung, in air-breathing vertebrates, either of the two large organs of respiration located in the chest cavity and......
Lutheran blood group system, classification of human blood based on the presence of substances called Lutheran......
lymph, pale fluid that bathes the tissues of an organism, maintaining fluid balance, and removes bacteria from......
lymphatic system, a subsystem of the circulatory system in the vertebrate body that consists of a complex network......
lymphoblast, immature white blood cell that gives rise to a type of immune cell known as a lymphocyte. The nucleus......
lymphocyte, type of white blood cell (leukocyte) that is of fundamental importance in the immune system because......
lymphoid tissue, cells and organs that make up the lymphatic system, such as white blood cells (leukocytes), bone......
Pierre Lyonnet was a Dutch naturalist and engraver famed for his skillful dissections and illustrations of insect......
lysosome, subcellular organelle that is found in nearly all types of eukaryotic cells (cells with a clearly defined......
J.J.R. Macleod was a Scottish physiologist noted as a teacher and for his work on carbohydrate metabolism. Together......
macronucleus, relatively large nucleus believed to influence many cell activities. It occurs in suctorian and ciliate......
macrophage, type of white blood cell that helps eliminate foreign substances by engulfing foreign materials and......
macula lutea, in anatomy, the small yellowish area of the retina near the optic disk that provides central vision.......
François Magendie was a French experimental physiologist who was the first to prove the functional difference of......
major histocompatibility complex (MHC), group of genes that code for proteins found on the surfaces of cells that......
malpighian tubule, in insects, any of the excretory organs that lie in the abdominal body cavity and empty into......
mammary gland, milk-producing gland characteristic of all female mammals and present in a rudimentary and generally......
mandible, in anatomy, the movable lower jaw, consisting of a single bone or of completely fused bones in humans......
mantle, in biology, soft covering, formed from the body wall, of brachiopods and mollusks; also, the fleshy outer......
Étienne-Jules Marey was a French physiologist who invented the sphygmograph, an instrument for recording graphically......
Lynn Margulis was an American biologist whose serial endosymbiotic theory of eukaryotic cell development revolutionized......
masseter, (from Greek masasthai, “to chew”), prominent muscle of the jaw. The masseter arises from the zygomatic......
mast cell, tissue cell of the immune system of vertebrate animals. Mast cells mediate inflammatory responses such......
mastoid process, the smooth pyramidal or cone-shaped bone projection at the base of the skull on each side of the......
John Mayow was an English chemist and physiologist who, about a hundred years before Joseph Priestley and Antoine-Laurent......
Daniel Mazia was an American cell biologist who was notable for his work in nuclear and cellular physiology, especially......
mechanoreception, ability of an animal to detect and respond to certain kinds of stimuli—notably touch, sound,......
Johann Friedrich Meckel was a German anatomist who first described the embryonic cartilage (now called Meckel’s......
Sir Peter B. Medawar was a Brazilian-born British zoologist who received, with Sir Frank Macfarlane Burnet, the......
medulla oblongata, the lowest part of the brain and the lowest portion of the brainstem. The medulla oblongata......
meiosis, division of a germ cell involving two fissions of the nucleus and giving rise to four gametes, or sex......