Did you know that our bodies create about a gallon of mucus in just two days? I do. In fact, I know a lot of other interesting information about the human body, and YOU WILL TOO if you read this paper! Within this document, you will find six different body system essays, including the muscular, skeletal, circulatory, respiratory, digestive, and nervous system, which all work together to operate our body. All of these systems have different components, each with their own unique functions that help keep us alive. However, each system cannot operate alone - they need each other to be successful. For example, the nutrients in gathered by the digestive system get distributed throughout the body in the circulatory system. Over the last 12 weeks, we gathered information, organized our thoughts, and paraphrased what trusted sources taught us about each system. We worked with responsibility partners and, our papers definitely benefited from the collaboration. Just like each human body system needs to rely on the other systems, we relied on each other to improve our writing and our process. The following is a result of our hard work.
Skeletal System:
Our Skeletal System is made up of 206 bones. These bones work together to provide our body with support so we can walk around, and protect our vital organs like our heart and our brain! Our bones even make and store blood cells for our circulatory system! Without our bones, we would be nothing more than a pile of skin, organ, and muscle on the floor. We wouldn’t be able to move and our organs wouldn’t be safe!
Skeletal System:
Our Skeletal System is made up of 206 bones. These bones work together to provide our body with support so we can walk around, and protect our vital organs like our heart and our brain! Our bones even make and store blood cells for our circulatory system! Without our bones, we would be nothing more than a pile of skin, organ, and muscle on the floor. We wouldn’t be able to move and our organs wouldn’t be safe!
Our bones are made up of many layers. These layers are important because we need our bones to be strong, yet lightweight. In order to achieve this goal, the outside layer of bone is made up of solid, compact bone that makes our bones strong and dense. The next layer of bone is called cancellous, A.K.A. spongy bone. This layer allows the bones to be lightweight and transitions us from compact bone to bone marrow. Bone marrow is a thick and spongy section of bone in the middle of the bone where red and white blood cells are formed. Finally, our bones are covered in a thin membrane called periosteum, which is where our muscles attach to bones. So that is how bones are structured to be strong, yet lightweight.
Although bones are extremely important, we wouldn’t be able to move without joints. Joints are places where two or more joints meet. There are several types of joints in our bodies, but we’ll just focus on four of them. The first type of joint is called a hinge joint. Just like the hinges on a door, they allow movement back and forth. We have hinge joints at our elbows and knees, and we even have them in our knuckles! Another type of joint is called a ball and socket joint. This is where one bone has a ball at the end of it, and the other has a “baseball mitt” for the ball to sit in. Our shoulders and hips are examples of ball and socket joints. The third type of joint that we studied is called a gliding joint. gliding joints are where two or more bones meet and slide past each other. Our wrists and ankles are two examples of gliding joints. The final type of joint is called the pivot joint. A pivot joint works when one bone acts like a ring, and the other sits inside the ring and rotates. Our neck is an example of a pivot joint because it can rotate around and move up and down. At each joint, a soft, squishy material can be found between bone, which keeps them from rubbing each other, which would be painful. This material is called cartilage. Cartilage, which is bendable, can also be found in our ears and nose. But all of this wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for ligaments holding all of our bones together at each joint. Ligaments are long, stretchy tissue that connect bone to other bone and stabilize joints. Without these ligaments in place, bones wouldn’t stay attached to each other and wouldn’t allow joints to move. It’s interesting to know that people who are double jointed actually just have extremely stretchy ligaments. Joints definitely make movement possible, and without them, we’d have a hard time getting around our world!
Bones definitely are important parts of the human body. They allow us to move, help provide support to our structure, protect our important organs, and even make blood cells. Because bones are designed so well, they are strong, yet lightweight. Thanks to joints, ligaments, and cartilage, we are able to move throughout our world.
Muscular System:
The muscular system is an essential part of the human body. We wouldn’t be able to move around without it! There are many types of muscles all with different purposes, (e.g. movement, pumping blood, dilating your pupils). Some of these purposes are controlled by us, and some are controlled automatically by the muscle cell, or the brain.
There are two types of categories of muscles in the human body: voluntary and involuntary. Voluntary muscles are muscles that we have control over. They are the muscles that control our body’s movements and are attached to bones. Skeletal muscles are the only type of voluntary muscle in our body. They pull on bones to cause us to move. Skeletal muscles never push. They only pull, and that’s why they nearly always are found in pairs. One example of this is the biceps and triceps that are located in our upper arms. When one set of muscles, (the biceps) want to pull the lower arm up, they contract, or shrink, while the triceps relax, or expand. When the triceps want to pull the arm down, they contract while the biceps relax. This is an example of a pair of muscles working together to make movement. But those muscles wouldn’t be able to do any of this without tendons connecting them to the bones that they move. Tendons are flexible bands of tissue that blend into bones and enable them to move the corresponding bones. Although skeletal muscles are the only type of voluntary muscle, there are two different types of involuntary muscle.
Unlike voluntary muscles, involuntary muscles can do the things that need to be done without us thinking about it. There are two examples of involuntary muscles. There are cardiac muscles, and smooth muscles. Cardiac muscles are muscles found only in the heart, and are the muscles responsible for pumping blood throughout our body. Cardiac muscles work without us thinking about them, and contract and relax throughout our entire lifetime. Smooth muscles are involuntary muscles that can be found in several places all over your body, including many organs, (e.g. the stomach, intestines, bladder, and esophagus) and are also in blood vessels. Smooth muscles help push food through your body, but don’t just work in the digestive system. Smooth muscles are also in your eyes. Smooth muscles can look like one big cells, but are actually a bunch of smaller cells grouped together, unlike the skeletal cells. Clearly, There are several types of involuntary muscles that keep us alive by performing many important tasks that we don’t even notice, like pumping blood and digesting food!
The muscular system is a powerful system that allows us to move, convert food into energy, and circulate blood throughout our body. Our muscles make up over half of our body weight, and give us tone and structure. In the next essay, learn how our muscles move blood throughout our body in order to deliver oxygen to all of our cells.
Circulatory System:
Have you ever wondered what pumps blood through our body, or how blood is important at all? The circulatory system is yet another thing that helps us live the lives we live!
The first, and one of the most important parts of the circulatory system is the blood. You know… that red stuff that comes out of a papercut. Blood’s purpose isn’t just to freak you out when you get hurt. Blood is essential to our body because we need a steady supply of fuel and oxygen flowing, and blood carries it through us 24/7! Blood also carries carbon dioxide and other waste materials to the lungs, kidneys, and digestive system where it is disposed of. But blood isn’t the only thing in the circulatory system. White blood cells also have an essential role in keeping us alive. Have you ever had some sort of sickness? White blood cells are the things that try to help fight off the infection. They travel through and can move in and out of the bloodstream to reach affected tissues, and fight off the infection. This is also known as the immune system. Another key job in the circulatory system belongs to the red blood cells. Red blood cells are extremely important when it comes to not dying.They are the things that actually carry the oxygen through our bloodstream, fueling us with energy. Red blood cells also remove carbon dioxide from our body, transporting it to the lungs to exhale. These cells are made inside of your bones, in the bone marrow. But have you ever wondered how your cuts form a scab to keep too much blood from escaping? This task is done by the platelets. Platelets are carried in the blood and patch up any cuts that you have allowing for minimal to no blood loss. The platelets eventually form a scab that dries, so the skin underneath can safely heal. But what makes up most of our blood? Plasma is the largest component of the blood, making up about 55 percent of its overall content. On its own, blood plasma is a light yellow liquid. Along with water, plasma carries salts and enzymes. The main purpose of plasma is to transport nutrients and proteins to the parts of the body that need it. Plasma also ushers the movement of all the elements of blood through the circulatory system.
But we wouldn’t be able to do anything we do without blood vessels. There are three types of blood vessels in our body. Two of the three carry blood throughout our bodies: The arteries carry oxygenated blood (blood that has received oxygen from the lungs) from the heart to the rest of the body. The blood then travels through the veins and back to the heart and lungs, so it can receive more oxygen to be sent back to the body through the arteries. The third type of blood vessel, and the smallest type are the capillaries. They serve to move oxygenated blood from arteries to the tissues of the body and to feed deoxygenated blood from the tissues back into the veins.
But where does our blood get pumped? The heart of course! The heart is an extremely important organ that functions as the body’s circulatory pump. It takes in deoxygenated blood through the veins and delivers it to the lungs for oxygenation before pumping it into the various arteries. The heart has four chambers: two atria and two ventricles. The right atrium receives oxygen-deprived blood from the body and pumps it into the right ventricle. The right ventricle pumps the oxygen-deprived blood to the lungs. The left atrium takes oxygen-rich blood from the lungs and pumps it into the left ventricle.
The circulatory system is an essential part of our body that we wouldn’t be able to live without. (Literally!). Everything we do depends on the circulatory system and its components.
Respiratory System:
We wouldn’t be able to do anything we do without the respiratory system. The respiratory system is a series of tubes and organs that help us breathe, talk, cough, sneeze, and keep us alive!
There are several parts to the respiratory system that are essential to survival. Two of these parts are called the nose and mouth. We all know that the nose helps us smell and what not, and the mouth helps us eat, but they have an even more important job. When we inhale air through our nostrils or mouth, the air passes through the nasal cavity, moisturizing and warming the air, and passes down to the lungs in a series of tubes. What are these tubes? The first thing air the passes is the epiglottis. The epiglottis is a small muscle flap that sorts the air and liquid or food into different passageways so that our food and drinks don’t end up in our lungs! After the epiglottis sends the air on the right path, it goes down through the larynx. The larynx is located at the top of the trachea and is also known as the voice box, because it is where sound is generated. The larynx also filters any solid objects or dust that pass the epiglottis through the process of coughing to protect the trachea. The trachea is a large tube that carries air from the throat to the lungs. The inner membrane of the trachea covered in tiny hairs called cilia, which can produce a strong cough reflex when pieces of hair or dust get caught in them. Then, the air is off to the lungs!
How do the lungs expand and contract when we breathe? The diaphragm solves that problem. The diaphragm is a parachute-shaped muscle that sits under the lungs. When we inhale, it relaxes, moving down to make space for the lungs to expand and it contracts when we exhale by moving back up. Then, the air goes into the bronchial tube, which is a large tube in the lungs that lets air in and out of the lungs so you can breathe. Two tubes called bronchi descend down from your trachea and into your lungs. Attached to the bronchi are the bronchioles. The bronchioles are even smaller tubes, and are the smallest air-conducting passages in the lungs. As the bronchioles get even smaller, the ends are attached to the alveoli. The alveoli are some of the most important respiratory system functions there are! When the air gets into the alveoli, the oxygen in the air that was breathed is absorbed and is carried through the body in the bloodstream. The carbon dioxide is a “waste gas”, and is moved out of the body through the process of exhalation. The only thing the lungs need is oxygen, so they will dispose of everything else. This is called the exchange of gases.
In conclusion, nothing would be able to survive without the respiratory system, including us! The respiratory system is a very complicated series of tubes that filter waste gases, give us the ability to breathe and speak, and keep food and liquids out of our lungs. Many internal things we do depend on the respiratory system!
Digestive System:
Have you ever wondered what happens to your food after you swallow, or how or why you get hungry? These questions are answered simply by the digestive system. The digestive system is a complicated series of organs and muscles that help us digest our food to get the energy and nutrients we need in order to survive.
The first path of the digestive system is the mouth. The mouth is starting place of what is called mechanical digestion, or chewing your food. The main purpose of mechanical digestion is to grind up your food, allowing for easy digestion and absorption in the body. This process mixes with the process of chemical digestion. Chemical digestion involves breaking down the food into even smaller pieces with the addition of saliva. Your tongue helps out with this process by moving the food around while it is being chewed. It also helps when you are ready to swallow. The tongue forms a ball of the mashed up food mixed with the saliva. This is called a bolus, which is and pushed down to the opening of the esophagus. Once your food reaches the esophagus, it starts getting pushed down by a muscular movement in the esophagus. This movement is called peristalsis. Peristalsis is a series of wave-like movements that push the bolus down the esophagus. Reverse peristalsis is also known as… you know… vomiting. This happens when your system thinks that you are poisoned, or have something your body thinks you need to get out of you because of a virus or sickness. It pushes the partially digested food back up with some stomach acid, and out of your mouth. Once your food comes down the esophagus, it is off to the stomach!
The stomach, as you probably know, is a muscular sac that lies between the esophagus and the small intestine that releases acids and enzymes to break down the food even more as it makes churning motions, tossing the food around. Have you ever had a growling stomach? That is from your stomach churning when there is nothing in it. After the food is broken down as much as possible at this stage, it heads straight to the small intestine. Mixed with multiple types of digestive juices to break it down, this food ball is now called chyme. Chyme is the completely broken down ball of food mixed with digestive juices. It is now ready to head to the small intestine!
The small intestine is in fact not small at all! It’s length measures about 20 feet! Once the chyme reaches the small intestine, it spreads itself all around the inside of the small intestine. Why? Because the body needs the nutrients in the chyme, which it carries through the body by cells, and taken to the places it is needed most. All along the inside of the small intestine are intestinal villi. These are tiny finger-like hairs that can absorb nutrients and food from the chyme into the bloodstream. The chyme that is left over doesn’t have anything good left in it, so there is absolutely no reason to keep it in the small intestine. But the small intestine still wouldn’t do what it does without the pancreas. The pancreas is a large gland behind the stomach and next to the small intestine. The pancreas does two main things. The first task is to release digestive enzymes into the small intestine to help digest the food. The second task is to release hormones such as insulin and glucagon into the bloodstream. But the pancreas isn’t the only thing that breaks down fatty foods. The liver and gallbladder play a very important role in helping digest food. The gallbladder is a small pouch that sits just under the liver. The gallbladder holds a clear substance called bile that is produced by the liver. Bile is released from the gallbladder and into the small intestine through a series of tubes, and then helps break down food even more. The liver’s job is to filter blood coming from the digestive tract before passing through the rest of the body. But what is the small intestine compared to in size? The large intestine is… well… a larger version of the small intestine. The large intestine actually isn’t longer than the small intestine, but has a much larger diameter. The large intestine is responsible for sucking water from the contents of the intestine. It is also responsible for absorbing vitamins in the intestine, such as vitamin K and biotin.
After the food has been fully digested and passed through the digestive system, it becomes the time for it to leave the body. The solid waste passes through the rectum, which pushes it through the anus at the end of our body. This solid waste is called feces, and is no longer useful in our body.
The digestive system isn’t just that place our food goes after all! We need the digestive system to absorb the goodness that needs to be absorbed, get rid of waste products, and accomplishes several other tasks in the body.
Nervous System:
The first part of the nervous system is the brain. The brain is the main control center for all of the body, and is possibly the most important organ in the entire complex system that keeps us going. The brain receives input from the sensory organs, and then sends output to the muscles when they need to be moved. One of the main parts of our brain is the cerebrum, located towards the front of our skull. The cerebrum is responsible for voluntary activity coordination and neuron function in the body. Another part of the brain is the cerebellum. The cerebellum, sometimes called the cortex, is a larger part of the brain located at the very back, which has several roles in the nervous system. One of the many tasks it accomplishes is receiving information from the sensory systems. The cerebellum also stores sequences of movements. Yet another important section of the brain is the medulla, also known as the brainstem. The medulla is located anterior to the cerebellum in the hindbrain (the back of the brain). The medulla is responsible for regulating breathing, controlling heart and blood cell function, digestion, sneezing, and swallowing. But what transmits the signals through our body?
Nerves are white bundles of fibers that have the important role of communicating via electrical impulses and neurotransmitters with different parts of the body.
In conclusion, the human body has many systems that each work hard to do specific jobs to benefit our bodies, but they also work together successfully to ensure our well-being. The skeletal system provides support, protection, and structure, while the muscular system allows us to move, breathe, and digest food. The circulatory system transports oxygen and nutrients to the cells of our body while getting rid of waste products and the respiratory system swaps out the oxygen and carbon dioxide. Finally, the digestive system converts food into energy while the nervous system uses that energy to make decisions and maintain memories. I appreciate the time you took to read these essays, and hope you learned something valuable.
So the next time you move a muscle or take a breath, I hope you’ll think about how impressive our human body really is!
Although bones are extremely important, we wouldn’t be able to move without joints. Joints are places where two or more joints meet. There are several types of joints in our bodies, but we’ll just focus on four of them. The first type of joint is called a hinge joint. Just like the hinges on a door, they allow movement back and forth. We have hinge joints at our elbows and knees, and we even have them in our knuckles! Another type of joint is called a ball and socket joint. This is where one bone has a ball at the end of it, and the other has a “baseball mitt” for the ball to sit in. Our shoulders and hips are examples of ball and socket joints. The third type of joint that we studied is called a gliding joint. gliding joints are where two or more bones meet and slide past each other. Our wrists and ankles are two examples of gliding joints. The final type of joint is called the pivot joint. A pivot joint works when one bone acts like a ring, and the other sits inside the ring and rotates. Our neck is an example of a pivot joint because it can rotate around and move up and down. At each joint, a soft, squishy material can be found between bone, which keeps them from rubbing each other, which would be painful. This material is called cartilage. Cartilage, which is bendable, can also be found in our ears and nose. But all of this wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for ligaments holding all of our bones together at each joint. Ligaments are long, stretchy tissue that connect bone to other bone and stabilize joints. Without these ligaments in place, bones wouldn’t stay attached to each other and wouldn’t allow joints to move. It’s interesting to know that people who are double jointed actually just have extremely stretchy ligaments. Joints definitely make movement possible, and without them, we’d have a hard time getting around our world!
Bones definitely are important parts of the human body. They allow us to move, help provide support to our structure, protect our important organs, and even make blood cells. Because bones are designed so well, they are strong, yet lightweight. Thanks to joints, ligaments, and cartilage, we are able to move throughout our world.
Muscular System:
The muscular system is an essential part of the human body. We wouldn’t be able to move around without it! There are many types of muscles all with different purposes, (e.g. movement, pumping blood, dilating your pupils). Some of these purposes are controlled by us, and some are controlled automatically by the muscle cell, or the brain.
There are two types of categories of muscles in the human body: voluntary and involuntary. Voluntary muscles are muscles that we have control over. They are the muscles that control our body’s movements and are attached to bones. Skeletal muscles are the only type of voluntary muscle in our body. They pull on bones to cause us to move. Skeletal muscles never push. They only pull, and that’s why they nearly always are found in pairs. One example of this is the biceps and triceps that are located in our upper arms. When one set of muscles, (the biceps) want to pull the lower arm up, they contract, or shrink, while the triceps relax, or expand. When the triceps want to pull the arm down, they contract while the biceps relax. This is an example of a pair of muscles working together to make movement. But those muscles wouldn’t be able to do any of this without tendons connecting them to the bones that they move. Tendons are flexible bands of tissue that blend into bones and enable them to move the corresponding bones. Although skeletal muscles are the only type of voluntary muscle, there are two different types of involuntary muscle.
Unlike voluntary muscles, involuntary muscles can do the things that need to be done without us thinking about it. There are two examples of involuntary muscles. There are cardiac muscles, and smooth muscles. Cardiac muscles are muscles found only in the heart, and are the muscles responsible for pumping blood throughout our body. Cardiac muscles work without us thinking about them, and contract and relax throughout our entire lifetime. Smooth muscles are involuntary muscles that can be found in several places all over your body, including many organs, (e.g. the stomach, intestines, bladder, and esophagus) and are also in blood vessels. Smooth muscles help push food through your body, but don’t just work in the digestive system. Smooth muscles are also in your eyes. Smooth muscles can look like one big cells, but are actually a bunch of smaller cells grouped together, unlike the skeletal cells. Clearly, There are several types of involuntary muscles that keep us alive by performing many important tasks that we don’t even notice, like pumping blood and digesting food!
The muscular system is a powerful system that allows us to move, convert food into energy, and circulate blood throughout our body. Our muscles make up over half of our body weight, and give us tone and structure. In the next essay, learn how our muscles move blood throughout our body in order to deliver oxygen to all of our cells.
Circulatory System:
Have you ever wondered what pumps blood through our body, or how blood is important at all? The circulatory system is yet another thing that helps us live the lives we live!
The first, and one of the most important parts of the circulatory system is the blood. You know… that red stuff that comes out of a papercut. Blood’s purpose isn’t just to freak you out when you get hurt. Blood is essential to our body because we need a steady supply of fuel and oxygen flowing, and blood carries it through us 24/7! Blood also carries carbon dioxide and other waste materials to the lungs, kidneys, and digestive system where it is disposed of. But blood isn’t the only thing in the circulatory system. White blood cells also have an essential role in keeping us alive. Have you ever had some sort of sickness? White blood cells are the things that try to help fight off the infection. They travel through and can move in and out of the bloodstream to reach affected tissues, and fight off the infection. This is also known as the immune system. Another key job in the circulatory system belongs to the red blood cells. Red blood cells are extremely important when it comes to not dying.They are the things that actually carry the oxygen through our bloodstream, fueling us with energy. Red blood cells also remove carbon dioxide from our body, transporting it to the lungs to exhale. These cells are made inside of your bones, in the bone marrow. But have you ever wondered how your cuts form a scab to keep too much blood from escaping? This task is done by the platelets. Platelets are carried in the blood and patch up any cuts that you have allowing for minimal to no blood loss. The platelets eventually form a scab that dries, so the skin underneath can safely heal. But what makes up most of our blood? Plasma is the largest component of the blood, making up about 55 percent of its overall content. On its own, blood plasma is a light yellow liquid. Along with water, plasma carries salts and enzymes. The main purpose of plasma is to transport nutrients and proteins to the parts of the body that need it. Plasma also ushers the movement of all the elements of blood through the circulatory system.
But we wouldn’t be able to do anything we do without blood vessels. There are three types of blood vessels in our body. Two of the three carry blood throughout our bodies: The arteries carry oxygenated blood (blood that has received oxygen from the lungs) from the heart to the rest of the body. The blood then travels through the veins and back to the heart and lungs, so it can receive more oxygen to be sent back to the body through the arteries. The third type of blood vessel, and the smallest type are the capillaries. They serve to move oxygenated blood from arteries to the tissues of the body and to feed deoxygenated blood from the tissues back into the veins.
But where does our blood get pumped? The heart of course! The heart is an extremely important organ that functions as the body’s circulatory pump. It takes in deoxygenated blood through the veins and delivers it to the lungs for oxygenation before pumping it into the various arteries. The heart has four chambers: two atria and two ventricles. The right atrium receives oxygen-deprived blood from the body and pumps it into the right ventricle. The right ventricle pumps the oxygen-deprived blood to the lungs. The left atrium takes oxygen-rich blood from the lungs and pumps it into the left ventricle.
The circulatory system is an essential part of our body that we wouldn’t be able to live without. (Literally!). Everything we do depends on the circulatory system and its components.
Respiratory System:
We wouldn’t be able to do anything we do without the respiratory system. The respiratory system is a series of tubes and organs that help us breathe, talk, cough, sneeze, and keep us alive!
There are several parts to the respiratory system that are essential to survival. Two of these parts are called the nose and mouth. We all know that the nose helps us smell and what not, and the mouth helps us eat, but they have an even more important job. When we inhale air through our nostrils or mouth, the air passes through the nasal cavity, moisturizing and warming the air, and passes down to the lungs in a series of tubes. What are these tubes? The first thing air the passes is the epiglottis. The epiglottis is a small muscle flap that sorts the air and liquid or food into different passageways so that our food and drinks don’t end up in our lungs! After the epiglottis sends the air on the right path, it goes down through the larynx. The larynx is located at the top of the trachea and is also known as the voice box, because it is where sound is generated. The larynx also filters any solid objects or dust that pass the epiglottis through the process of coughing to protect the trachea. The trachea is a large tube that carries air from the throat to the lungs. The inner membrane of the trachea covered in tiny hairs called cilia, which can produce a strong cough reflex when pieces of hair or dust get caught in them. Then, the air is off to the lungs!
How do the lungs expand and contract when we breathe? The diaphragm solves that problem. The diaphragm is a parachute-shaped muscle that sits under the lungs. When we inhale, it relaxes, moving down to make space for the lungs to expand and it contracts when we exhale by moving back up. Then, the air goes into the bronchial tube, which is a large tube in the lungs that lets air in and out of the lungs so you can breathe. Two tubes called bronchi descend down from your trachea and into your lungs. Attached to the bronchi are the bronchioles. The bronchioles are even smaller tubes, and are the smallest air-conducting passages in the lungs. As the bronchioles get even smaller, the ends are attached to the alveoli. The alveoli are some of the most important respiratory system functions there are! When the air gets into the alveoli, the oxygen in the air that was breathed is absorbed and is carried through the body in the bloodstream. The carbon dioxide is a “waste gas”, and is moved out of the body through the process of exhalation. The only thing the lungs need is oxygen, so they will dispose of everything else. This is called the exchange of gases.
In conclusion, nothing would be able to survive without the respiratory system, including us! The respiratory system is a very complicated series of tubes that filter waste gases, give us the ability to breathe and speak, and keep food and liquids out of our lungs. Many internal things we do depend on the respiratory system!
Digestive System:
Have you ever wondered what happens to your food after you swallow, or how or why you get hungry? These questions are answered simply by the digestive system. The digestive system is a complicated series of organs and muscles that help us digest our food to get the energy and nutrients we need in order to survive.
The first path of the digestive system is the mouth. The mouth is starting place of what is called mechanical digestion, or chewing your food. The main purpose of mechanical digestion is to grind up your food, allowing for easy digestion and absorption in the body. This process mixes with the process of chemical digestion. Chemical digestion involves breaking down the food into even smaller pieces with the addition of saliva. Your tongue helps out with this process by moving the food around while it is being chewed. It also helps when you are ready to swallow. The tongue forms a ball of the mashed up food mixed with the saliva. This is called a bolus, which is and pushed down to the opening of the esophagus. Once your food reaches the esophagus, it starts getting pushed down by a muscular movement in the esophagus. This movement is called peristalsis. Peristalsis is a series of wave-like movements that push the bolus down the esophagus. Reverse peristalsis is also known as… you know… vomiting. This happens when your system thinks that you are poisoned, or have something your body thinks you need to get out of you because of a virus or sickness. It pushes the partially digested food back up with some stomach acid, and out of your mouth. Once your food comes down the esophagus, it is off to the stomach!
The stomach, as you probably know, is a muscular sac that lies between the esophagus and the small intestine that releases acids and enzymes to break down the food even more as it makes churning motions, tossing the food around. Have you ever had a growling stomach? That is from your stomach churning when there is nothing in it. After the food is broken down as much as possible at this stage, it heads straight to the small intestine. Mixed with multiple types of digestive juices to break it down, this food ball is now called chyme. Chyme is the completely broken down ball of food mixed with digestive juices. It is now ready to head to the small intestine!
The small intestine is in fact not small at all! It’s length measures about 20 feet! Once the chyme reaches the small intestine, it spreads itself all around the inside of the small intestine. Why? Because the body needs the nutrients in the chyme, which it carries through the body by cells, and taken to the places it is needed most. All along the inside of the small intestine are intestinal villi. These are tiny finger-like hairs that can absorb nutrients and food from the chyme into the bloodstream. The chyme that is left over doesn’t have anything good left in it, so there is absolutely no reason to keep it in the small intestine. But the small intestine still wouldn’t do what it does without the pancreas. The pancreas is a large gland behind the stomach and next to the small intestine. The pancreas does two main things. The first task is to release digestive enzymes into the small intestine to help digest the food. The second task is to release hormones such as insulin and glucagon into the bloodstream. But the pancreas isn’t the only thing that breaks down fatty foods. The liver and gallbladder play a very important role in helping digest food. The gallbladder is a small pouch that sits just under the liver. The gallbladder holds a clear substance called bile that is produced by the liver. Bile is released from the gallbladder and into the small intestine through a series of tubes, and then helps break down food even more. The liver’s job is to filter blood coming from the digestive tract before passing through the rest of the body. But what is the small intestine compared to in size? The large intestine is… well… a larger version of the small intestine. The large intestine actually isn’t longer than the small intestine, but has a much larger diameter. The large intestine is responsible for sucking water from the contents of the intestine. It is also responsible for absorbing vitamins in the intestine, such as vitamin K and biotin.
After the food has been fully digested and passed through the digestive system, it becomes the time for it to leave the body. The solid waste passes through the rectum, which pushes it through the anus at the end of our body. This solid waste is called feces, and is no longer useful in our body.
The digestive system isn’t just that place our food goes after all! We need the digestive system to absorb the goodness that needs to be absorbed, get rid of waste products, and accomplishes several other tasks in the body.
Nervous System:
The first part of the nervous system is the brain. The brain is the main control center for all of the body, and is possibly the most important organ in the entire complex system that keeps us going. The brain receives input from the sensory organs, and then sends output to the muscles when they need to be moved. One of the main parts of our brain is the cerebrum, located towards the front of our skull. The cerebrum is responsible for voluntary activity coordination and neuron function in the body. Another part of the brain is the cerebellum. The cerebellum, sometimes called the cortex, is a larger part of the brain located at the very back, which has several roles in the nervous system. One of the many tasks it accomplishes is receiving information from the sensory systems. The cerebellum also stores sequences of movements. Yet another important section of the brain is the medulla, also known as the brainstem. The medulla is located anterior to the cerebellum in the hindbrain (the back of the brain). The medulla is responsible for regulating breathing, controlling heart and blood cell function, digestion, sneezing, and swallowing. But what transmits the signals through our body?
Nerves are white bundles of fibers that have the important role of communicating via electrical impulses and neurotransmitters with different parts of the body.
In conclusion, the human body has many systems that each work hard to do specific jobs to benefit our bodies, but they also work together successfully to ensure our well-being. The skeletal system provides support, protection, and structure, while the muscular system allows us to move, breathe, and digest food. The circulatory system transports oxygen and nutrients to the cells of our body while getting rid of waste products and the respiratory system swaps out the oxygen and carbon dioxide. Finally, the digestive system converts food into energy while the nervous system uses that energy to make decisions and maintain memories. I appreciate the time you took to read these essays, and hope you learned something valuable.
So the next time you move a muscle or take a breath, I hope you’ll think about how impressive our human body really is!
Works Cited
"Article: Your Respiratory System Print." Your Respiratory System. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Article: Your Respiratory System Print." Your Respiratory System. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Bicep and Tricep Muscles." Science Learning Hub RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Blood." KidsHealth - the Web's Most Visited Site about Children's Health. The Nemours Foundation, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Blood." KidsHealth - the Web's Most Visited Site about Children's Health. The Nemours Foundation, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Blood." KidsHealth - the Web's Most Visited Site about Children's Health. The Nemours Foundation, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Blood." KidsHealth - the Web's Most Visited Site about Children's Health. The Nemours Foundation, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Bones, Muscles, and Joints." KidsHealth - the Web's Most Visited Site about Children's Health. The Nemours Foundation, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Circulatory System Answer." Circulatory System Answer. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"The Digestive System Diagram, Organs, Function, and More." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
Ehow. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.
"Fun Lung Facts for Kids - Interesting Facts about Lungs." Fun Lung Facts for Kids - Interesting Facts about Lungs. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Fun Muscle Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Human Muscles." Fun Muscle Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Human Muscles. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Fun Muscle Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Human Muscles." Fun Muscle Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Human Muscles. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Fun Muscle Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Human Muscles." Fun Muscle Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Human Muscles. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Google." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Heart and Circulatory System." KidsHealth - the Web's Most Visited Site about Children's Health. The Nemours Foundation, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Hinge Joint." InnerBody. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"How Bones Work." HowStuffWorks. N.p., 10 Feb. 2009. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"The Human Central Nervous System." The Central Nervous System. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Human Respiratory System." Human Respiratory System. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
KidsHealth. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.
"Learn about Your Joints - Science for Kids." Science for Kids. N.p., 22 Apr. 2015. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Left Atrium." Left Atrium Function, Definition & Anatomy. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
Lewis, Tanya. "Human Brain: Facts, Functions & Anatomy." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 25 Mar. 2016. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Ligaments and Tendons: What's the Diff?" RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Muscular System Overview." Muscular System Overview. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"The Muscular System." UXL Complete Health Resource. 2000. "The Muscular System." Encyclopedia.com. HighBeam Research, 01 Jan. 2000. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Neuroscience For Kids." - Cells of the Nervous System. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"New Health Guide." Function of Large Intestine. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
N.p., n.d. Web.
N.p., n.d. Web.
N.p., n.d. Web.
N.p., n.d. Web.
N.p., n.d. Web.
N.p., n.d. Web.
N.p., n.d. Web.
N.p., n.d. Web.
N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Periosteum." InnerBody. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Plasma (physics)." Facts for Kids. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"The Process of Muscle Relaxation & Contraction." The Process of Muscle Relaxation & Contraction. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Secretion of Bile and the Role of Bile Acids In Digestion." Secretion of Bile and the Role of Bile Acids In Digestion. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Sense of Touch." Skin &. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"The Skeletal System." Human-kinetics. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"The Skeletal System." Human-kinetics. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"The Skeletal System." Human-Kinetics. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.
"Stomach." InnerBody. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Structure of Bone." Bone Structure. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Study.com -." Study.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"What Are Digestive Juices?" WiseGEEK. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"What Are Muscles?" Kids' Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"What Are Muscles?" Kids' Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Word! Platelets." KidsHealth - the Web's Most Visited Site about Children's Health. The Nemours Foundation, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Your Bones." Your Bones. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Your Digestive System and How It Works." Your Digestive System and How It Works. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Your Intestinal Villi Work Hard Absorbing Nutrients from Your Food." About.com Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Your Muscles." KidsHealth - the Web's Most Visited Site about Children's Health. The Nemours Foundation, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Your Rectum and Anus -Your Digestive System - Explore Your Body - Microbe Magic." Your Rectum and Anus -Your Digestive System - Explore Your Body - Microbe Magic. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Article: Your Respiratory System Print." Your Respiratory System. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Article: Your Respiratory System Print." Your Respiratory System. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Bicep and Tricep Muscles." Science Learning Hub RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Blood." KidsHealth - the Web's Most Visited Site about Children's Health. The Nemours Foundation, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Blood." KidsHealth - the Web's Most Visited Site about Children's Health. The Nemours Foundation, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Blood." KidsHealth - the Web's Most Visited Site about Children's Health. The Nemours Foundation, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Blood." KidsHealth - the Web's Most Visited Site about Children's Health. The Nemours Foundation, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Bones, Muscles, and Joints." KidsHealth - the Web's Most Visited Site about Children's Health. The Nemours Foundation, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Circulatory System Answer." Circulatory System Answer. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"The Digestive System Diagram, Organs, Function, and More." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
Ehow. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.
"Fun Lung Facts for Kids - Interesting Facts about Lungs." Fun Lung Facts for Kids - Interesting Facts about Lungs. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Fun Muscle Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Human Muscles." Fun Muscle Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Human Muscles. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Fun Muscle Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Human Muscles." Fun Muscle Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Human Muscles. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Fun Muscle Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Human Muscles." Fun Muscle Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Human Muscles. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Google." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Heart and Circulatory System." KidsHealth - the Web's Most Visited Site about Children's Health. The Nemours Foundation, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Hinge Joint." InnerBody. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"How Bones Work." HowStuffWorks. N.p., 10 Feb. 2009. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"The Human Central Nervous System." The Central Nervous System. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Human Respiratory System." Human Respiratory System. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
KidsHealth. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.
"Learn about Your Joints - Science for Kids." Science for Kids. N.p., 22 Apr. 2015. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Left Atrium." Left Atrium Function, Definition & Anatomy. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
Lewis, Tanya. "Human Brain: Facts, Functions & Anatomy." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 25 Mar. 2016. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Ligaments and Tendons: What's the Diff?" RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Muscular System Overview." Muscular System Overview. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"The Muscular System." UXL Complete Health Resource. 2000. "The Muscular System." Encyclopedia.com. HighBeam Research, 01 Jan. 2000. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Neuroscience For Kids." - Cells of the Nervous System. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"New Health Guide." Function of Large Intestine. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
N.p., n.d. Web.
N.p., n.d. Web.
N.p., n.d. Web.
N.p., n.d. Web.
N.p., n.d. Web.
N.p., n.d. Web.
N.p., n.d. Web.
N.p., n.d. Web.
N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Periosteum." InnerBody. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Plasma (physics)." Facts for Kids. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"The Process of Muscle Relaxation & Contraction." The Process of Muscle Relaxation & Contraction. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Secretion of Bile and the Role of Bile Acids In Digestion." Secretion of Bile and the Role of Bile Acids In Digestion. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Sense of Touch." Skin &. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"The Skeletal System." Human-kinetics. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"The Skeletal System." Human-kinetics. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"The Skeletal System." Human-Kinetics. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.
"Stomach." InnerBody. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Structure of Bone." Bone Structure. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Study.com -." Study.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"What Are Digestive Juices?" WiseGEEK. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"What Are Muscles?" Kids' Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"What Are Muscles?" Kids' Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Word! Platelets." KidsHealth - the Web's Most Visited Site about Children's Health. The Nemours Foundation, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Your Bones." Your Bones. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Your Digestive System and How It Works." Your Digestive System and How It Works. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Your Intestinal Villi Work Hard Absorbing Nutrients from Your Food." About.com Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Your Muscles." KidsHealth - the Web's Most Visited Site about Children's Health. The Nemours Foundation, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
"Your Rectum and Anus -Your Digestive System - Explore Your Body - Microbe Magic." Your Rectum and Anus -Your Digestive System - Explore Your Body - Microbe Magic. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.