| A | B |
|---|
| Plasma | The fluid portion of the blood, which is mostly water |
| Formed elements of blood | The cells and cell parts of blood produced by the bone marrow |
| Erythrocytes | Red blood cells which carry the oxygen in blood |
| Leukocytes | White blood cells which perform various defensive functions in blood |
| Platelets | Cell fragments in blood which help prevent blood loss |
| Diapedesis | Passage of any formed element of blood through the blood vessel and into the tissue spaces |
| Hemopoiesis | The process by which the formed elements of blood are made in the body |
| Coagulation factors | Proteins in blood plasma which help initiate the blood clotting process |
| Antigen | A protein or carbohydrate that, when introduced in the blood, triggers the production of an antibody |
| Arteries | Blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart |
| Capillaries | Tiny, thin-walled blood vessels that allow the exchange of gases and nutrients between the blood and cells |
| Veins | Blood vessels that carry blood back to the heart |
| Pulmonary circulation | Circulation of the blood over the air sacs of the lungs |
| Systemic circulation | Circulation of the blood through the other tissues of the body |
| Systolic phase | The phase of the cardiac cycle in which the ventricles contract |
| Diastolic phase | The phase of the cardiac cycle in which the ventricles relax |
| Cardiac cycle | One complete round of systole and diastole |
| Arterioles | The smallest arteries that still have three tunics |
| Venules | Small veins that do not have three tunics but instead have only an endothelium, a basement membrane, and a few smooth muscle cells |
