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We challenge you to take a good look at your hand. Take a really good look. What do you
see? Well chances are you see your skin. Maybe
you can see some of the veins under your skin, maybe not. But you can’t see the millions
of cells that make up your hand. Not without a microscope. We take those cells for granted
sometimes, but your body is made up of millions of cells!!
Cells that work together. Cells that are very organized with specific functions. Cells that
all carry your whole DNA code, but use specific parts of your DNA code depending on the cell’s
function. Your cells make up body tissues. . Tissues
make up organs, like your heart for example. And organs are part of an organ system like
your circulatory system. Organ systems are so important for you to understand in order
to know how your body works. One thing to keep in mind is that organ systems do not
work in isolation. They are not loners. They work together and are part of a big team.
We’re going to intro the 11 major organ systems. Keep in mind this is just a quick
intro so we’re doing the bare bones (no pun intended) of the systems. Because they
are all important, it’s hard to know where to start! So we’re going to go in alphabetical
order, because we don’t want you to think that one is way more important than another.
First---the circulatory system. You think of blood and you should, because blood carries
gases like oxygen (which your body needs) and helps remove CO2 (which your body needs
to expel). Your blood also transports nutrients that your body needs. Your heart is included
in this system. It is a pumping machine that transports the blood around. Arteries are
vessels that typically (with a few exceptions) carry blood away from the heart (think “a”
for away), veins typically carry blood back to the heart, and capillaries are tiny blood
vessels throughout your body. Did you ever hear the rumor that your blood is blue and
then turns red when it reaches oxygen? Guess what---that’s not really true. Your blood
is red---and always red even inside your body---though the shade of red can vary slightly due to
the amount of oxygen present. Veins may appear blue—or even green---to you through the
skin but it’s actually related to wavelengths of light (to the google!). Second- the digestive
system. It is important for breaking down and absorbing food for your body to get nutrients.
Digestion actually starts in the mouth----you have some awesome enzymes in your saliva that
get the process going. Your stomach contains acid to further this process. Your small intestine
does most of the absorption of nutrients and your large intestine has to reabsorb a lot
of the water from this process. This is a fascinating process and there are a lot of
accessory organs involved in this system too. Third- the endocrine system. You know how
you’re bigger than you were when you were six years old? Growth hormone is a hormone
that’s made a big impact on you. Notice how your heart starts to race when you have
a big test that you haven’t studied for? That’s another hormone----adrenaline for
you. The endocrine system includes many glands that secrete hormones. Another system that
starts with “e” is #4, excretory. I like to think “exit” for excretory because
this system is all about excreting wastes. I’m not talking about feces because that’s
still digestive. More like urine. This system involves your kidneys (lower back). The kidneys
assist in removing wastes from the blood. You know they’re important because anyone
with impaired kidneys may need to go on a machine called dialysis to replace that function.
The excretory system also includes other ways of removing waste, like sweating. Ok #5, integumentary.
Long fancy word is appropriate for your largest organ----your skin. Your skin helps protect
your organs from outside damage, helps with temperature regulation, and from losing precious
water. #6 Lymphatic/Immune System. Has anyone ever
checked your lymph nodes on your neck when you feel sick? You have many lymph nodes and
they tend to swell during some illnesses. See---lymph is this clear fluid from blood
plasma that surrounds cells. This system collects, filters, and returns the lymph to the blood
and a major role is to help with immune function. This keeps your body safe against pathogens
like viruses and bacteria. Structures like lymph nodes, the thymus, spleen, tonsils,
and bone marrow play significant roles in your immune system.
Ok more than halfway done with our intro---hang in there.
#7- Muscular System- No bones about it---your bones can’t do much without muscle to move
them. You have three major types of muscle tissue known as skeletal, smooth, and cardiac
muscle. #8- Nervous System- Your body would be a nervous wreck without something to coordinate
it. Ok my little joke wasn’t very funny. The nervous system includes your brain and
your spinal cord---it controls voluntary actions (that’s what you can control like picking
up your pencil) with involuntary actions---ones you don’t control (reflexes are an example
of this). At the cellular level, the nervous system uses cells known as neurons. With their
amazing structure, these cells are kind of the cool cells on the block.
#9- Reproductive system- Like it sounds, this system includes reproductive organs. The major
function here that it allows for animals to reproduce. Think: babies. #10- Respiratory
System- Involves the lungs---this system involves the intake of oxygen into the body and exhaling
carbon dioxide from the body. Remember that your body cells need this oxygen---and they
need to get rid of carbon dioxide---in order to function correctly.
#11- The skeletal system. Bones. Adults have 206 bones---you have more at birth but some
bones fuse together----and these bones support you, protect your organs (think: ribcage),
and even produce blood cells from the bone marrow that is inside the bone.
Understanding how the human body works is fascinating---and it’s necessary so that
we can figure out what to do when things go wrong. There are doctors that specialize specifically
with each of these systems. The most amazing part to us though is their beauty in how they
work together----working every second to let you do the things that you do. The human body----just
truly a magnificent masterpiece. That’s it for the amoeba sisters and we
remind you to stay curious.