ORGAN SYSTEMS

By

LEO HOPE MONIQUE BERNABE

What is the organ

system?
The human body is made up of several organ systems that all work together as a unit to make sure the body
keeps functioning. In all, 11 organ systems make up the living human being, or the organism, which represents
the highest level of structural organization, the organismal level. The organismal level is the sum total of all
structural levels working together to keep us alive.

Integumentary System Skeletal System

Muscular System Nervous System
Endocrine System Cardiovascular System
Lymphatic System Respiratory System
Digestive System

Page 1
 The integumentary system is the external covering of the

Integumentary body, or the skin. It waterproofs the body and cushions

and protects deeper tissues from injury. It also helps
regulate body temperature. Different receptors are found
in the skin to help us know what is happening at the body

System surface.

The skin is composed of two kinds of tissue. The outer epidermis is made up of stratified squamous
epithelium that is capable of keratinizing , or becoming hard and tough. The underlying dermis is made up
mostly of dense connective tissue. The epidermis and dermis are firmly connected and the dermis is fairly
tear resistant. Deep to the dermis is the subcutaneous tissue, or hypodermis, which essentially is adipose
tissue. It is not considered part of the skin, but it does anchor the skin to underlying organs. It is also a site
for fat storage.
Epidermis
-Stratum Corneum- Cells are dead; represented only by flat membranous sacs filled with keratin. Glycolipids
in extracellular space.
-Stratum granulosum. Cells are flattened, organelles are deteriorating; cytoplasm full of granules.
-Stratum spinosum. Cells contain thick bundles of intermediate filaments made of pre-keratin.
-Stratum basale. Cells are actively dividing stem cells; some newly formed cells become part of the more
superficial layers.
Dermis
The papillary layer is the upper dermal region. It is uneven and has peg-like projections from its superior
surface, called dermal papillae.
The reticular layer is the deepest skin layer. It contains irregularly arranged connective tissue fibers, as well
as blood vessels, sweat and oil glands.
 The skeletal system consists of bones, cartilages,

Skeletal System ligaments, and joints. It supports the body and provides a
framework that the skeletal muscles use to cause
movement. Hematopoiesis, the formation of blood cells
happens within the cavities. Our human skeleton contains
206 bones (80 from axial skeleton, 126 from appendicular
skeleton), six of which can be found within the ear that
helps in hearing.

Bone: a type of mineralized connective tissue that contains collagen and calcium phosphate, a mineral
crystal. Calcium phosphate gives bone its firmness. Bone tissue may be compact or spongy. Bones provide
support and protection for the body's organs.
Cartilage: a form of fibrous connective tissue that is composed of closely packed collagenous fibers in a
rubbery gelatinous substance called chondrin. Cartilage provides flexible support for certain structures in
adult humans, including the nose, trachea, and ears.
Tendon: a fibrous band of connective tissue that is bonded to bone and connects muscle to bone.
Ligament: a fibrous band of connective tissue that joins bones and other connective tissues together at
joints.
Joint: a site where two or more bones or other skeletal components are joined together.

Bones that comprise the human skeleton are divided into two groups:

Axial Skeleton
The axial skeleton includes bones that run along the medial sagittal plane of the body. It is composed of the
skull, hyoid, vertebral column and thoracic cage.
Appendicular Skeleton
The appendicular skeleton is composed of body limbs and structures that attach limbs to the axial skeleton.
Composed of the pectoral girdle, upper limbs, pelvic girdle and lower limbs.
Muscular System The muscles of the body have only one function— to
contract, or shorten. When this happens, movement
occurs. Skeletal muscles are the muscles attached to
bones that help us walk, leap, grasp, throw or smile.
These muscles are distinct from the muscles of the heart.

Smooth Muscle
Smooth muscle has no striations and is involuntary, which means that we cannot consciously control it.
Found mainly in the walls of hollow visceral organs such as the stomach, urinary bladder, and respiratory
passages, smooth muscle propel substances along a definite tract, or pathway, within the body.

Cardiac Muscle
Cardiac muscle is found in only one place in the body—the heart, where it forms the bulk of the heart walls.
The heart serves as a pump, propel- ling blood into the blood vessels and to all tissues of the body.

Skeletal Muscle
Skeletal muscle fibers are packaged into the organs called skeletal muscles that attach to the body’s
skeleton. As the skeletal muscles cover our bony “underpinnings,” they help form the much smoother
contours of the body.
 The nervous system is the body’s control system. It consists of

Nervous System the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and sensory receptors. The body
must be able to respond to irritants or stimuli coming from
outside the body and from inside the body. The sensory
receptors detect these changes and send messages (via
electrical signals called nerve impulses) to the central nervous
system (brain and spinal cord) so that it is constantly informed
about what is going on.

Two subdivisions:
The central nervous system (CNS) consists of the brain and spinal cord, which occupy the dorsal body cavity
and act as the integrating and command centers of the nervous system. They interpret incoming sensory
information and issue instructions based on past experience and current conditions.
The peripheral nervous system (PNS) is the part of the nervous system outside the CNS. It consists mainly of
the nerves that extend from the brain and spinal cord. Spinal nerves carry impulses to and from the spinal
cord. Cranial nerves carry impulses to and from the brain.

The basic unit of the nervous system is a nerve cell/neuron:

Neurons
also called nerve cells, are highly specialized to transmit messages (nerve impulses) from one part of the
body to another. A neuron has a cell body, which includes the cell nucleus, and special extensions called
axons and dendrites. Bundles of axons, called nerves, are found throughout the body. Axons and dendrites
allow neurons to communicate, even across long distances.
 Endocrine glands produce hormones, which are molecules that

Endocrine System serve as messengers throughout the body. Each hormone is

designed to trigger a very specific response in a specific part of
the body. Hormones are chemical substances that are secreted
by endocrine cells into the extra- cellular fluids and regulate the
metabolic activity of other cells in the body.

Pituitary Gland and Hypothalamus

The pituitary gland is approximately the size of a pea. The
pituitary plays a key role in regulating growth and development,
metabolism and reproduction.

Parathyroid Glands
The parathyroid glands are tiny masses of glandular tissue most
often found on the posterior surface of the thyroid gland. It
secretes parathyroid hormones, regulator of calcium ion
homeostasis of blood.

Pancreas
The pancreas, located close to the stomach in the abdominal
cavity. Two important hormones produced are insulin and
glucagon.

Adrenal Glands
The two bean-shaped adrenal glands curve over the top of the
kidneys. Hormones of the adrenal glands maintain sodium,
chloride and potassium levels in the blood, maintain blood
pressure, help control kidney function and control overall fluid
concentrations in the body.
Thyroid Gland
The thyroid gland is a hormone-producing gland that is familiar to most people primarily because many
obese individuals blame their overweight condition on their “glands” (meaning the thyroid).
Parathyroid Glands
The parathyroid glands are tiny masses of glandular tissue most often found on the posterior surface of the
thyroid gland.
Pineal Gland
The pineal gland is a small, cone-shaped gland that hangs from the roof of the third ventricle of the brain.
Thymus
The thymus is located in the upper thorax, posterior to the sternum. The thymus produces a hormone called
thymosin and others that appear to be essential for normal development of a special group of white blood
cells.
Gonads
The female and male gonads produce sex cells.They also produce sex hormones that are identical to those
produced by adrenal cortex cells. The female gonads or ovaries, are paired, almond-sized organs located in
the pelvic cavity. Besides producing female sex cells (ova, or eggs), ovaries produce two groups of steroid
hormones, estrogens and progesterone. The paired oval testes of the male are suspended in a sac, the
scrotum, outside the pelvic cavity. In addition to male sex cells, or sperm, the testes also produce male sex
hormones, or androgens, of which testosterone.
 The primary organs of the cardiovascular system are the heart

Cardiovascular and blood vessels. Using blood as the transporting fluid, the
cardiovascular system carries oxygen, nutrients, hormones,
and other sub- stances to and from the tissue cells where
exchanges are made.

System

This system has three main components: the heart, the blood vessel and the blood itself.

The heart is the system’s pump and the blood vessels are like the delivery routes. Blood can be thought
of as a fluid which contains the oxygen and nutrients the body needs and carries the wastes which need to
be removed.

The atria receive blood from different sources. The left atrium receives blood from the lungs and the right
atrium receives blood from the rest of the body. The bottom two chambers are known as the left and right
ventricles. The ventricles pump blood out to different parts of the body.

Veins are blood vessels which carry blood from the body back to the heart. Arteries are blood vessels which
carry blood from the heart to the body. There are also microscopic blood vessels which connect arteries and
veins together called capillaries. The pulmonary trunk is the large artery which the right ventricle pumps
into. It splits into pulmonary arteries which take the blood to the lungs. The pulmonary veins take blood
from the lungs to the left atrium

Valves are fibrous flaps of tissue found between the heart chambers and in the blood vessels. They are
rather like gates which prevent blood from flowing in the wrong direction.
 The role of the lymphatic system complements that of the

Lymphatic System cardiovascular system. The lymph nodes and other lymphoid
organs help to cleanse the blood and house cells involved in
immunity.

lymphatic vessels form an elaborate drainage system that picks up this excess tissue fluid, now called
lymph (lymph = clear water), and returns it to the blood. Lymph is transported from the lymph capillaries
through successively larger lymphatic vessels, referred to as lymphatic collecting vessels.

The lymph nodes in particular help protect the body by removing foreign material such as bacteria and
tumor cells from the lymphatic stream.

The spleen is a soft, blood-rich organ that filters blood. It is located in the left side of the abdominal cavity

The thymus, which functions at peak levels only during youth, is a lymphoid mass found low in the throat
overlying the heart.

The tonsils are small masses of lymphoid tis- sue that ring the pharynx (the throat), where they are found
in the mucosa. Their job is to trap and remove any bacteria or other foreign pathogens entering the throat.

Peyer’s patches, which resemble tonsils, are found in the wall of the distal part of the small intestine.
Lymphoid follicles are also heavily concentrated in the wall of the appendix, a tubelike offshoot of the first
part of the large intestine. The macrophages of Peyer’s patches and the appendix are in an ideal position to
capture and destroy bacteria
 The job of the respiratory system is to keep the body

Respiratory constantly supplied with oxygen and to remove carbon

dioxide.

System

As we breathe, oxygen enters the nose or mouth and passes the sinuses, which are hollow spaces in the
skull that help regulate the temperature and humidity of the air we breathe. The air passes through the
pharynx, a muscular passageway for food and air, and the Larynx, which routes the air to the proper
channel. The air passes through the trachea, also called the windpipe, and into the bronchial tubes, which
are the two tubes that carry air into each lung (each one is called a bronchus). The bronchial tubes are
lined with tiny hairs called cilia that move back and forth, carrying mucus up and out. Mucus is a sticky fluid
that collects dust, germs and other matter that has invaded the lungs and is what we expel when we sneeze
and cough. The bronchial tubes split up again to carry air into the lobes of each lung. The right lung has
three lobes while the left lung has only two, to accommodate room for the heart. The lobes are filled with
small, spongy sacs called alveoli, which is where the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide occurs.
 Eliminates nitrogen-containing wastes from the body;

Urinary System regulates water, electrolyte, and acid-base balance of the

blood..

Kidney
The kidneys continuously cleanse the blood and adjust its composition, so it is not surprising that they have
a rich blood supply.
Ureter
Essentially, the ureters are passageways that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder.
Stomach
The stomach acts as a temporary “storage tank” for food as well as a site for food break- down.
Urinary Bladder
The urinary bladder is a smooth, collapsible, muscular sac that stores urine temporarily. It is located
retroperitoneally in the pelvis just posterior to the pubic symphysis.
Urethra
The urethra is a thin-walled tube that carries urine by peristalsis from the bladder to the outside of the
body.
 Breaks food down into absorbable units that enter the blood

Digestive System for distribution to body cells; indigestible foodstuffs are

eliminated as feces.

Mouth
Food enters the digestive tract through the mouth, or oral cavity, a mucous membrane–lined cavity. As food
enters the mouth, it is mixed with saliva and masticated (chewed).
Esophagus
from the pharynx through the diaphragm to the stomach. About 25 cm (10 inches) long, it is essentially a
passageway that conducts food to the stomach.
Stomach
The stomach acts as a temporary “storage tank” for food as well as a site for food break- down.
Small Intestine
The small intestine is the body’s major digestive organ. Within its twisted passageways, usable food is finally
prepared for its journey into the cells of the body.
Large Intestine
Because most nutrients have been absorbed before the large intestine is reached, no villi are present in the
large intestine, but there are tremendous numbers of goblet cells in its mucosa that produce alkaline
(bicarbonate-rich) mucus. The mucus lubricates the passage of feces to the end
of the digestive tract.
Rectum
Where feces is delivered and out through the anus.
 Overall function of the reproductive system is production of

Reproductive offspring. Testes produce sperm and male sex hormone; ducts
and glands aid in delivery of viable sperm to the female
reproductive tract. Ovaries produce eggs and female sex
hormones; remaining structures serve as sites for fertilization

System and development of the fetus. Mammary glands of female

breast produce milk to nourish the newborn..

Seminal vesicles, are located at the base of the bladder. These large hollow glands produce about 60
percent of seminal fluid, the fluid volume of semen. Their thick, yellowish secretion is rich in sugar
(fructose), vitamin C, prostaglandins, and other substances, which nourish and activate the sperm passing
through the tract. Prostate gland secretion is a milky fluid that plays a role in activating sperm. During
ejaculation, the fluid enters the urethra through several small ducts. The scrotum is a divided sac of skin
with sparse hairs that hangs outside the abdominal cavity, between the legs and at the root of the penis.
The penis is designed to de- liver sperm into the female reproductive tract.

Ovaries produce both an exocrine product (eggs, or ova) and endocrine products (estrogens and
progesterone).An internal view of an ovary reveals many tiny saclike structures called ovarian follicles. Each
follicle consists of an immature egg, called an oocyte.The uterus, located in the pelvis between the urinary
bladder and rectum, is a hollow organ that functions to receive, retain, and nourish a fertilized egg. The
vagina is a thin-walled tube. It lies between the bladder and rectum and extends from the cervix to the body
exterior. Often called the birth canal.
 How will you use the knowledge about
the organ system in your course?

Studying the different organ systems can be very helpful in psychology. Not many would think of it, but
the mind and body are very connected. A person’s emotional state can greatly affect our heart rate, our
appetite. Emotions can also affect the body’s reaction to stress and strains which can cause different
physical problems. There are many ways one can use the knowledge about organ systems in Psychology.
By knowing a person’s physical state, psychologists can be able to:

 Find out what is causing a person’s stress

 Help a person live a healthy lifestyle
 Give the proper support and guidance especially to those who
are sick
 Assess and decide on the proper treatment
 Speed up recovery from illness
 Help the family of a patient/ client to understand and better
cope with the illness
 Help increase awareness of the mind-body connection
 Lessen pain and discomfort of clients/patients
 Help the patient/client be active in their health choices
 Create a plan to maximize psychological well-being
 INSIGHTS

I’m a very active person. When I have time, I jog about 5-10 km. I make sure I get
about 5,000-10,000 steps a day. I do a lot of things that requires a lot of work and
effort. Besides my daily routine of having to walk and achieve my desired number
of steps, I go to school and to be able to focus on my studies, I need to be in good
health. Having knowledge of how my organ systems work helps me make better
lifestyle decisions. What to avoid and what more I need and reduce my risk of
chronic diseases and promote my overall health.

We humans can be a little bit weird about self-care. We try to avoid it

because we think it’s selfish or unnecessary. In my walk with God, I often
feel guilty when I rest because I feel like I haven’t reached my limits yet.
Then I remind myself of how my body is a temple for the holy spirit that I
have received from God (1 Cor 6:19-20). This verse reminds me of how
important it is for me to value my body in a way that I see it is a gift from
God and better take care of it. I understand and have noticed that when I
take care of my physical well-being everything else follows. My mood
generally becomes better and I find myself less stressed.
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(2019, MAY 6). ANATOMY OF THE HUMAN HEART AND CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM : MYVMC. RETRIEVED FROM
https://healthengine.com.au/info/cardiovascular-system-heart

(N.D.). RETRIEVED FROM https://endo.wustl.edu/endocrine-system/

(N.D.). WHAT ARE THE PARTS OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM ? RETRIEVED FROM
https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/neuro/conditioninfo/parts

BAILEY, R. (2019, MARCH 6). THE INCREDIBLE SKELETAL SYSTEM: THE SUPPORT SYSTEM OF THE BODY. RETRIEVED FROM
https://www.thoughtco.com/skeletal-system-373584