Kidney

1. The kidney filters, or removes, waste materials from the blood

2. A person has two bean-shaped kidneys, each the size of a fist and weighing four to six
ounces
3. The kidneys are located just inside the lower edges of the rib cage, one on each side of the
spine
4. The kidneys filter waste materials from the blood so that they do not hurt the body
5. The kidneys mix the filtered waste materials with water to form urine
6. Blood that has been filtered by the kidneys returns to the bloodstream through the renal
vein
7. The outer portion of the kidney is called the cortex
8. The inner portion of the kidney is called the medulla
9. The kidneys also produce a hormone that stimulates the production of red blood cells in the
body
10. The word “kidney” was kidenei in Middle English, an earlier form of the English
language
Stomach
1. The stomach holds food after it has been eaten and helps to digest it
2. The stomach of an adult can hold up to one quart of food
3. The stomach is located in the abdomen, just below the rib cage and behind the liver
4. Food enters the stomach from the esophagus, and exits into the duodenum, the first part of
the intestine
5. The stomach churns food and mixed it with digestive juice
6. The stomach secretes a digestive juice called hydrochloric acid to help digest the food.
7. The stomach also secretes mucous to line its walls and protect it from the hydrochloric acid
it secretes
8. The stomach regulated the speed at which food enters the duodenum
9. The stomach has a valve called the pyloric sphincter to control when food enters the
intestine
10. The word “stomach” comes from stomachos, the greek word for stomach
Lungs
1. People breathe with their lungs
2. Each of a person’s two lungs is a little smaller than a football and weighs just over one
pound
3. The lungs are inside the front of the rib cage, above the liver and stomach
4. The diaphragm, a muscle beneath the lungs, tightens and relaxes the lungs, causing a person
to inhale and exhale
5. Every part of the body depends on the lungs to bring oxygen in from the air
6. The lungs are lined with thousands of tiny alveoli, little sac that hold air
7. Oxygen moves from the alveoli to the capillaries that surround the walls of the alveoli
8. Carbon dioxide from the blood moves into the alveoli to be exhaled
9. After blood receives oxygen in the lungs, it returns to the heart by way of the pulmonary
veins
10. The word “lung” comes from lungen, the Anglo-Saxon word for lung.
Bladder
1. The bladder collects urine coming from the kidneys and stored it until it is expelled from the
body
2. An adult’s bladder can hold about eight ounces of urine, and is shaped like a ball when full
3. The bladder is located in the pelvis
4. Urine flows from the kidneys into the bladder through tubes called ureters
5. As more urine enters the bladder it stretches, which brings on the need to urinate
6. Urination occurs when the muscles of the bladder wall contract, pushing the urine out of the
bladder
7. Urine leaves the bladder through a tube called the urethra
8. The sphincters are three muscular valves that open and close to control the flow of urine
9. Bladder control is a reflex action for a baby, but becomes a conscious act as the brain
matures
10. The word “bladder” comes from blaedre, the Anglo-Saxon word for bladder
Brain
1. The brain is the body’s control center, as it controls the body’s functions and actions
2. By the time a person is about six years old, the brain reaches full size and weighs about
three pounds
3. The brain is located inside the head and is surrounded and protected by the bones of the
skull, or cranium.
4. The main areas of the brain are the medulla, the pons, the midbrain, and the cortex
5. The largest part of the brain is the cortex, which controls such functions as walking, talking,
reading and writing
6. The midbrain is the part of the brain that controls balance and coordination
7. The pons, which means “bridge”, links the cortex and the midbrain
8. The medulla is the part of the brain that controls very basic body movements and reflexes,
such as breathing and blood circulation
9. The brain grows in size and ability as it gains information by way of the eyes, ears, skin,
tongue, and nose.
10. The word “brain” comes from braegen, the Anglo-Saxon word for brain
Pancreas
1. The pancreas produces pancreatic juice, which helps to digest food, and hormones that are
needed by other body organs.
2. The pancreas is long and flat, measuring five to six inches (12.5 to 15.5 centimeters) in
length.
3. The pancreas is located in the abdomen, behind the stomach.
4. Digestive juice from the pancreas goes into the intestines just below the stomach, through a
tube called the pancreatic duct.
5. The hormones made by the pancreas are transported to other organs of the body through
the bloodstream.
6. The pancreas manufactures hormones in structures called the islets of Langerhans
7. Insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas, helps the body use glucose, an important
source of energy.
8. Insulin tells the liver to turn glucose, or blood sugar, into glucogen, which is stored in the
liver until it is needed.
9. Glucagon, a hormone secreted by the pancreas, turns glycogen into glucose when the body
needs energy
10. The word “pancreas” comes from the Greek words pans, meaning all, and kreas,
meaning flesh.
Ovary
1. The ovary is part of the female reproductive system.
2. A woman has two ovaries, each almond-shaped and about an inch and a half (3.8
centimeters) long.
3. The ovaries produce and store ova, or eggs, which are female reproductive cells.
4. The ovaries are located in the pelvis, one on each side of the uterus, just above the bladder.
5. In an adult female, one of the ovaries releases an egg about once a month.
6. A mature ovum (singular of ova) is almost too tiny to see.
7. An ovum is round
8. An ovum unites with a spermatozoon to create a fertilized egg that can grow into a baby
9. The ovaries produce hormones that the female body needs to grow in a healthy way.
10. The word “ovary” comes from the Latin word ovarium, which means “egg holder”
Testis
1. The testis is part of the male reproductive system
2. A male has two testes that are each oval in shape and one to two inches (2.5 to 5
centimeters) in length
3. The testes are contained in the scrotum, a pouch that is suspended outside of the male body
at the base of the penis
4. The testes produce and store spermatozoa, which are male reproductive cells
5. The testes of an adult male are constantly producing millions of spermatozoa
6. The spermatozoa produced by the testes are too small to be seen without a microscope
7. The spermatozoa from the testes are shaped like tadpoles and are the only cells in the body
that have tails so they can swim
8. A spermatozoon ( singular of spermatozoa) unites with an ovum to create a fertilized eggat
can grow into a baby
9. The testes produce hormones that help the male body grow and develop
10.
The word “testis” comes from Latin, and has the same meaning in that language
Heart
1. The heart pumps blood to all parts of the body
2. The heart is about the size of a fist and weighs less than one pound
3. The heart lies inside the chest, between the lungs and slightly to the left.
4. The heart has a number of muscles that contract, or tighten, to pump blood
5. Tube called veins bring blood to the heart, while tubes called arteries carry blood from the
heart
6. The heart has four chambers, two called atria ( or atriums) and two called ventricles.
7. The atria of the heart receive the blood that comes in from the body through the veins
8. The ventricles of the heart pump blood out to the body through the arteries
9. The heart send the blood to the lungs, where it picks up oxygen to take to the rest of the
body
10. Another word sometimes used for “heart” is the Greek word cardia
Liver
1. The liver removes toxins, or harmful materials, from the blood.
2. The liver is the largest internal organ in the body, weighing three to five pounds.
3. The liver lies across the front of the body, just below and to the left of the rib cage.
4. The liver manufactures bile, a fluid that helps to digest food.
5. Bile flows to the intestine through the bile duct
6. The liver filters blood that is carrying nutrients from digested food.
7. After the liver removes the toxins, the blood carries the nutrients to the rest of the body to
use.
8. The liver stored sugar for the body to use in the form of a starch called glycogen
9. The liver makes chemicals that the body uses to stop bleeding after an injury
10. The word “liver” comes from lifer, the Anglo-Saxon word for liver