Physical Education key terms

A physical and mental state of readiness or alertness, ranging from deep sleep to intense excitement.

A small artery whose muscular wall can change its lumen diameter to control blood flow to tissues.

A blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart.

A bone that meets another bone at a joint.

The mood and feeling at a sporting event, created partly by spectators’ cheering, chanting and applause.

An upper chamber of the heart that receives blood and pumps it into a ventricle. The heart has a right atrium and a left atrium.

A belief or feeling about something that can influence behaviour, such as whether someone sees sport as enjoyable or worthwhile.

An imaginary line around which a body or body part rotates.

The ability to maintain the body's centre of mass over its base of support, whether stationary or moving.

A diet containing a variety of foods that provides the nutrients the body needs and an appropriate amount of energy for its activity.

A freely movable joint that allows movement in several directions, including rotation.

An order preventing an individual from attending specified sporting events; it may also involve restrictions connected with travel.

A graph that compares categories using separate bars whose heights represent numerical values.

A recorded starting level against which later results can be compared.

A skill that is quickly learned because very few decisions are needed when performing it.

A medicine that reduces the effects of adrenaline on the body and can lower heart rate, muscle tension and blood pressure.

The muscle at the front of the upper arm that bends the arm at the elbow.

The formation of blood cells in bone marrow, including red blood cells that carry oxygen.

A performance-enhancing technique that increases the number of red blood cells in the body, increasing oxygen-carrying capacity.

The pressure exerted by blood against the walls of blood vessels.

How a person sees and feels about their body and appearance.

The amount of mineral contained in a given volume of bone; greater density generally makes bones stronger.

Soft tissue inside bones; red bone marrow produces blood cells.

A low resting heart rate, which can develop as an adaptation to regular exercise.

The number of breaths taken per minute.

The number of breaths taken in one minute.

Permission to broadcast an event, which a media company may purchase from its organisers.