Republic of the Philippines
Commission on Higher Education
DON HONORIO VENTURA TECHNOLOGICAL STATE UNIVERSITY
Bacolor, Pampanga
Body Systems & Their Functions
The human body consists of organized systems that function in sustaining life. Each system is a contained part of the body, but these systems depend on each other to make sure the body is capable of actions such as movement, thought and breathing. Even though each system interacts with the other, they have distinct functions that make them specific.
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Digestive System
- The digestive system consists of the esophagus, stomach, and the large and small intestines. It also involves the gall bladder and pancreas, which release the enzymes necessary to break down the food.
Respiratory System
- The respiratory system is responsible for oxygen exchange. The lungs exchange the carbon dioxide carried in the veins with oxygen from breathing. The respiratory system works directly with the circulatory system.
Circulatory System
- The circulatory system contains the heart and the blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients to the tissue in the body. The heart is the main workhorse for the circulatory system. It keeps blood pressure in capillaries so tissues receive enough oxygen to keep cells alive.
Muscle and Skeletal System
- The skeleton consists of bones that give the body structure and support. The bone marrow is also responsible for creation of white and red blood cells. The muscles connected to the bones give the body support and allow for movement by receiving signals from the brain.
Nervous System
- The nervous system is responsible for communication from the brain to the organs. The brain is the central component that sends electrical impulses to every part of the body. Every sensation, movement, and thought is derived and controlled by the nervous system.
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Integumentary system
The integumentary system (From Latin integumentum, from integere 'to cover'; from in- + tegere 'to cover is the organ system that protects the body from damage, comprising the skin and its appendages(including hair, scales, feathers, and nails). The integumentary system has a variety of functions; it may serve to waterproof, cushion, and protect the deeper tissues, excrete wastes, and regulate temperature, and is the attachment site for sensory receptors to detect pain, sensation, pressure, and temperature. In humans the integumentary system also provides vitamin D synthesis.The integumentary system is the largest organ system. In humans, this system accounts for about 16 percent of total body weight and covers 1.5-2m2 of surface area. It distinguishes, separates, protects and informs the animal with regard to its surroundings. Small-bodied invertebrates of aquatic or continually moist habitats respire using the outer layer (integument). This gas exchange system, where gases simply diffuse into and out of the interstitial fluid, is called integumentary exchange.
Excretory system
he excretory system is a passive biological system that removes excess, unnecessary or dangerous materials from an organism, so as to help maintain homeostasis within the organism and prevent damage to the body. It is responsible for the elimination of the waste products of metabolism as well as other liquid and gaseous wastes. As most healthy functioning organs produce metabolic and other wastes, the entire organism depends on the function of the system; however, only the organs specifically for the excretion process are considered a part of the excretory system. As it involves several functions that are only superficially related, it is not usually used in more formal classifications of anatomy or function.
Endocrine System
In physiology, the endocrine system is a system of glands, each of which secretes a type of hormone into the bloodstream to regulate the body. It derives from the Greek words endo (Greek ένδο) meaning inside, within, and crinis (Greek κρινής) for secrete. The endocrine system is an information signal system like the nervous system. Hormones are substances (chemical mediators) released from endocrine tissue into the bloodstream that attach to target tissue and allow communication among cells. Hormones regulate many functions of an organism, including mood, growth and development, tissue function, and metabolism. The field of study that deals with disorders of endocrine glands is endocrinology, a branch of internal medicine.
The endocrine system is made up of a series of glands that produce chemicals called hormones. A number of glands that signal each other in sequence is usually referred to as an axis, for example, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Typical endocrine glands are the pituitary, thyroid, and adrenal glands. Features of endocrine glands are, in general, their ductless nature, their vascularity, and usually the presence of intracellular vacuoles or granules storing their hormones. In contrast, exocrine glands, such as salivary glands, sweat glands, and glands within the gastrointestinal tract, tend to be much less vascular and have ducts or a hollow lumen.
In addition to the specialised endocrine organs mentioned above, many other organs that are part of other body systems, such as the kidney, liver, heart and gonads, have secondary endocrine functions. For example the kidney secretes endocrine hormones such as erythropoietin and renin.
