Parts of the Human Body

Over two hundred bones and six hundred muscles make up the human body. in addition, there are many systems that work in concert to make the marvelous human body function flawlessly.

Body structure

There are two systems that make up the structure of the human body: the skeletal system and the muscular system. The skeleton is made up of the axial skeleton, which is the skull, spinal cord and rib cage and the appendicular skeleton which includes the arms and legs. The skeleton protects vital organs and serves as points of attachment for muscles. The muscular system is made up of muscles, tendons, and ligaments and is responsible for flexing and extending which allows the body to move.

Circulation

The cardiovascular and respiratory system work in tandem. The cardiovascular system includes the heart as well as its associated blood vessels. These veins and arteries carry oxygen from the lungs to the body's tissues and expel carbon dioxide in the same manner.

Integument

The integumentary system is made up of the skin and associated structures such as hair and sweat glands. This system protects the body by keeping foreign objects out and beneficial objects in.

Digestion

The digestive system and urinary system take food and fluid into the body and process it. The stomach breaks down the food which then travels into the small intestine where most of the nutrients are absorbed into the bloodsteam. The liver is also considered part of the digestive system. In the large intestine, much of the water is absorbed back into the body before the digestion process is finalized. This water ultimately gets filtered through the kidneys, which remove waste products in the form of urine.

Nervous system

The nervous system is responsible for taking in signals in the form of hearing, touch, sight, taste and smell. It is also responsible for making the body move, by innervating muscles. The nervous system is made up of the brain and spinal cord. The thought processes occur in the brain, and it serves as the origin of most signals. The spinal cord is the highway through which these signals are carried to the rest of the body.

Hormones

The endocrine system is made up of the structures that produce hormones. This includes hormones from the thyroid gland, pancreas (insulin), pituitary (growth, reproduction) and is an extremely vital system. Hormones travel through the circulatory system where they are received by specialized cells in receptor organs.

Reproduction

The reproductive system is responsible for reproduction, and is the only of the body's systems that varies vastly from males to females. Males produce sperm in testes on a regular basis. Females are born with ovaries filled with the eggs they will carry throughout their lives.