immune system
The parts of your body that fight germs and protect you from illness.
Example: I haven't had a cold all year, so my immune system must be fine.
B218 words · Upper-intermediate
Body Parts vocabulary — B2
Body parts vocabulary for the body described from the inside, including the spine, an artery, a kidney and the immune system, the words a doctor uses when explaining a result.
18 questions
Words in this set
18digestion
/daɪˈdʒɛstʃən/The way your body breaks down food after a meal so it can be used.
Example:
Walking after dinner really helps my digestion.
blood pressure
The force of blood pushing against the inside of your veins, measured on your arm.
Example:
The doctor says my blood pressure is slightly high.
spine
/spaɪn/The line of small bones running down the middle of your back.
Example:
He hurt his spine in a diving accident.
joint
/dʒɔɪnt/A place in your body where two bones meet and allow movement.
Example:
Cold weather makes my joints ache.
organ
/ˈɔrɡən/A part inside your body, such as the heart or liver, that has its own job.
Example:
Doctors check that all the organs are working well.
nerve
/nɜrv/A thin thread inside your body that carries messages to your brain.
Example:
A trapped nerve in my neck is causing the pain.
reflex
/ˈriflɛks/A sudden movement the body makes on its own, without you deciding to.
Example:
Catching the falling glass was pure reflex, not skill.
puberty
/ˈpjubərti/The time of life when a child's body changes and becomes adult.
Example:
Most children grow very quickly during puberty.
hormone
/ˈhɔrˌmoʊn/A chemical made inside the body that affects how you grow, feel and develop.
Example:
Doctors checked her hormone levels with a blood test.
artery
/ˈɑrtəri/A tube that carries blood away from your heart.
Example:
Fatty food can block your arteries over time.
vein
/veɪn/A tube that carries blood back towards your heart.
Example:
The nurse struggled to find a vein in his arm.
kidney
/ˈkɪdni/An organ that removes waste from your blood, one on each side.
Example:
He's been on dialysis since his kidneys failed.
intestine
/ˌɪnˈtɛstən/The long tube below your stomach where food is digested.
Example:
The infection had spread to his intestines.
tonsil
/ˌtɑnsəl/A small soft lump at the back of your throat, one each side.
Example:
She had her tonsils out when she was six.
shin
/ʃɪn/The front part of your leg between your knee and your foot.
Example:
The ball caught him hard on the shin.
armpit
/ˈɑrmˌpɪt/The hollow part under your arm where it joins your body.
Example:
He tucked the thermometer under his armpit.
knuckle
/ˈnʌkəl/A joint where your finger bends.
Example:
His knuckles were white from gripping the wheel.
