Monday, May 9, 2011

All of the Many (Actually Few) Things I Know About the Human Body

Now that I'm thinking about it, the human body is an amazing thing.  There is so much that it can do as long as it is taken care of.  It can digest food, breath in air and convert it to carbon dioxide, pump blood, lift things, smell things, touch things, see things, and most importantly think.  The coolest part about the human body is the brain and what it can do.  The brain can think anything that it wants to and develop many ideas.  If not for my brain, I would even be able to write this blog post or, for that matter, recall anything that I know about the human body.  Unfortunately, I don't know much about how the brain works, or any other part of the human body.  What I do know though is that the body is made up of many systems.  Each system has a different function and exists to accomplish a specific and unique task.  There are so many systems because there are so many things that we rely on our body to do for us.  Some of the systems I can think of are the nervous system, circulatory system, digestive system, respiratory system, immune system, muscular system, urinary system, and bone system.  I also know that there are some things a body needs to function.  One important thing is exercise.  I'm not exactly sure why this is important but I know it plays a significant role in keeping the human body running smoothly.  Other things include food, oxygen, vitamins, and energy.  I am pretty sure that the vitamins and energy often come from the food but can be acquired in other ways too.  For instance, I think that the body can take in some vitamins from the sun.  Regardless, the process of taking in food and processing it to take advantage of it occurs in the digestive system.  The purpose of the respiratory system is to take in air and use the oxygen in it for the body and produce carbon dioxide.  The urinary system's purpose is to remove waste products from the body.  The muscular system allows the body to move and do strenuous activities.  The immune system protects the body from disease and the circulatory system spreads oxygen in the blood throughout the body to all the other parts and systems.  The nervous system is what recognizes different senses and sends messages to the brain.  Each system can be made up of multiple parts of the body. For instance, the digestive system includes the stomach, large and small intestines, liver and maybe even some others.  There is also the reproductive system which lets the body produce offspring.  Each system contributes to the body in different ways but together they allow it to function as it does.

Photo Links:
http://www.joy2day.com/health/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/body-system.jpg
http://www.human-nervous-system.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/human-nervous-system.png