Category Archives: Body System

Important Systems of the Human Body

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We talk about the study of life when we talk about biology. This study includes everything about living things – animals, plants or humans. Human biology specifically deals only with the human life form. It deals with all the aspects of the human body. It talks about what comprises the human body and what makes it work.

Our bodies are made up of several systems working interactively. These systems keep the body functioning well so that we may go about our normal lives every single day. We have the nervous, respiratory, digestive, cardiovascular, immune, circulatory, reproductive, excretory, and endocrine system. Each system has its own specialized assignment to do inside us that contribute to our overall well-being.

If one system goes wrong the whole human body is affected. It is therefore important to keep our bodies healthy all the time, so that our systems will be working efficiently for us all the time. This can be done if we have the right knowledge about the human systems. This is the main reason why we have to study biology in our science courses. Let us discuss some of the important human systems.

The Respiratory System is responsible for our breathing. It has two zones namely the upper respiratory tract and the lower respiratory tract. These zones help us inhale and exhale freely. The organs involved in our respiratory systems are the nostrils, nasal cavity, pharynx, larynx, trachea, thoracic cavity, bronchi, and alveoli. The air flows through these organs in a certain proper order.

The normal breathing rate is 10 to 18 breaths on a per minute basis. When a man does extreme activities like running, the per minute breaths reaches up to 35.

The Digestive system is assigned in making sure the nutrients from the food we eat are well distributed to the different parts of our bodies. The man eats food which is then broken down through the process digestion. Digestion takes out the minerals that the body needs from the food. The minerals are then distributed to the different parts of the body where that are needed. The organs that are responsible for the digestive system of the body are mouth and salivary glands, esophagus, stomach, small intestine and large Intestine.

The mouth takes in food to the salivary gland. The saliva from the salivary gland helps break down the food and it will be swallowed. The esophagus will transport the food to the stomach. The food in the stomach is mixed with digestive juices. After that it will be transported to the small intestine. The food in the small intestine will mix with the other enzymes that are in the body. This will be the organ that will absorb the nutrients that are needed by the body. The nutrients that are needed by the body will be transported to the large system and it will be disposed as an excess.

The next important system in the body is the cardiovascular system. The organs involve here are the heart, arteries, veins and capillaries. The heart pumps the blood so it will travel all over the body through the arteries, veins, and capillaries. The blood is the one that transports oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients and wastes to our body. If the heart does not work well, the nutrients needed by the body will not reach its destinations. The body malfunctions and this leads to heart ailments.

Knowing how these systems work will help us how to take care of our bodies the right way. Learn what nutrients these systems need and eat foods rich in nutrients and vitamins.

A Brief Description of the Eleven Major Organ Systems in the Body and Their Main Function

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The eleven major organ systems, and brief descriptions of their functions, are as follows:

1. Integumentary - This system includes the skin and its appendages (hair, nails, and specialized sweat- and oil-producing glands). Its primary function is protection. For example, the skin protects the underlying tissue from invasion by harmful bacteria, bars entry of most chemicals, and minimizes the chances of mechanical injury to underlying structures.

2. Skeletal - The skeletal system includes bones and related tissues such as cartilage and ligaments, which provide the body with a rigid framework for support and protection. The skeletal system also makes possible the movements of body parts.

3. Muscular - The muscular system, consisting of the individual skeletal muscles, makes movement possible and generates the heat required for maintaining a constant core body temperature. Voluntary muscles are so called because their contractions are under conscious control. Involuntary or smooth muscle tissue is found in blood vessel walls, other tubular structures and in the lining of hollow organs such as the stomach and small intestine. Cardiac muscle is the specialized muscle tissue of the heart.

4. Nervous - The nervous system is composed of the brain, spinal cord and nerves. The nervous system makes possible communication between body functions, integration and control of body functions, and recognition of sensory stimuli.

5. Endocrine - The endocrine system is composed of specialized glands that secrete chemicals known as hormones directly into the blood. The organs of the endocrine system are sometimes called ductless glands. The endocrine system is similar to the nervous system in that it also provides communication, integration and control, but it does it in a slower and longer-lasting way by hormone secretion. Hormones are also the main regulators of metabolism, reproduction and other body activities. They play important roles in fluid and electrolyte balance, acid-base balance and energy metabolism.

6. Cardiovascular (Circulatory) - The cardiovascular system includes the heart, arteries, veins and capillaries. The primary function of this system is transportation. Transportation needs include continuous movement of oxygen and carbon dioxide, nutrients, hormones, and other important substances. This system also helps regulate body temperature by distributing heat throughout the body and by assisting in retaining or releasing heat from the body by regulating blood flow near the body surface. Specialized cells of the circulatory system can also become involved in immunity.

7. Lymphatic - The lymphatic system is composed of lymph nodes, lymphatic vessels and specialized lymphatic organs such as the tonsils, thymus and spleen. The lymph system moves fluids and certain large molecules from the tissue spaces around the cells and moves fat-related nutrients from the digestive tract back to the blood. It also plays a role in the functioning of the immune system, which is the defense mechanism of the body against disease.

8. Respiratory - The respiratory system includes the nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi and lungs. Its primary function is to permit the movement of air into the alveoli, which are the tiny thin-walled sacs of the lungs. In these sacs, oxygen from the air is exchanged for carbon dioxide, a waste product, which is then carried to the lungs by the blood so that it can be eliminated from the body. The respiratory system is also involved in regulating the acid-base balance of the body.

9. Digestive - The digestive system is composed of the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum and anal canal (primary organs), as well as the teeth, salivary glands, tongue, liver, gallbladder, pancreas and appendix (secondary organs). All of the organs of the digestive system work together to ensure proper digestion and absorption of nutrients.

10. Urinary - The urinary system includes kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. The primary function of this system is the elimination of waste from the body. Other organs of the body are also involved in the elimination of body wastes, such as the lungs and skin.

11. Reproductive (consisting of a male subdivision and a female subdivision) – The reproduction system is composed of gonads (testes), vas deferens, prostate, penis and scrotum in the male, and gonads (ovaries), uterus, fallopian tubes, vagina and mammary glands in the female. The purpose of this system is the procreation of life, insuring survival of humankind.

How Does Diabetes Effect Immune Systems?

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Diabetes is a very dangerous disease and can have adverse lasting effects on the body of the patient. Apart from effecting the functioning of various organs of the body diabetes affects the immune system as well, making the patient vulnerable to risk of contracting other deadly infections or diseases. Long and persistent uncontrolled diabetes tends to degenerate the immune system of the patients body to such levels that they invariably end up attracting other deadly and harmful viruses.

Diabetes disturbs the blood glucose levels of the patient’s body effecting the functioning of the pancreas which produce insulin required to energize the body for performing its daily functions. This results in high blood sugar levels of the patients which is a potentially dangerous situation. Maintaining correct levels of diabetes blood glucose levels becomes essential and a proper and effective diet along with a regular exercise routine can help the patients in achieving normal blood glucose levels.

It is essential for patients suffering from diabetes to maintain an effective and active lifestyle. Burning of fat deposits and extra calories is essential for diabetic patients as an accumulation of these can have an adverse effect on the body. Diabetes affects the immune system of the body in such a way that it attacks and kills the body cells which produce insulin that is absolutely necessary to maintain the energy levels in the body. This way the immune system of the body tends to degenerated making the body more prone to the risk of attracting other harmful diseases and infections.

Maintaining the blood glucose levels of the body within permissible limits is absolutely essential. Keeping a control on the body weight, adopting a proper diet plan along with regular exercise routing can help in keeping the high blood sugar levels under control. Excess weight is considered one of the major reasons which enhance the probability of attracting diabetes. People who have genetic history of the disease in their family should be very attentive towards any signals that the body might be giving which suggest the onset of diabetes disease. People should watch out for these signals which are very subtle like increase in appetite, excess urination, increase in thirst etc.

These signs ensure the onset of the disease and work adversely by affecting the body of the patient, degenerating the immune system of the body leading to much larger health related issues for the patients. High blood sugar levels of the patient’s body warrant immediate attention and care and in some cases might even require injecting insulin injections to bring the blood glucose levels at a respective level.

The most common problem that the patients suffering from diabetes face is that as diabetes affects the immune system of the patients, the other organs of the body start developing complications and abnormalities which hamper the regular functioning of the organs effecting the body. Therefore it is relatively important for diabetic patients to have mediation which will help in improving the immune system of the body.