BODY SYSTEMS AND MAJOR ORGANS

BIOL122 – ANATOMY AND TISSUE STRUCTURE

LECTURE ONE
Learning Objectives
 Outline the eleven body systems.
 Describe their major organs and functions.
 Describe some of the interrelationships between them.

Six Levels of Organisation

Chemical > Cellular > Tissue > Organ > System > Organismal
 Organs interact to maintain homeostasis in an ever-changing environment in an organism.

The Body Systems:

1. Integumentary.
2. Skeletal.
3. Muscular.
4. Cardiovascular.
5. Lymphatic and immune.
6. Endocrine.
7. Nervous.
8. Respiratory.
9. Digestive.
10. Urinary.
11. Reproductive.

System Components Function Interrelationships with Systems

Integumentary  Skin.  Protection. E.g. water barrier, microbes &  Waste elimination is not primary system for this,
 Hair. sun. primary system is kidneys!
 Nails.  Temperature regulation. E.g. sweat.
 Sweat glands.  Waste elimination.
 Oil glands.  Helps make vitamin D.
 Detects sensation – hot, cold, touch, pain.
Skeletal  Bones.  Support and protection.  Blood cells produced interact with the cardiovascular
 Joints.  Muscle attachments. system.
 Cartilages.  Houses cells that produce blood cells.
(bone marrow)
 Stores minerals and lipids.
Muscular  Skeletal muscle.  Enables movement.  Interacts with the integumentary system e.g. the
 Stabilises body position (posture) generation of heat, reacts by sweating.
 Generates heat.  Interacts with nervous system to maintain posture.
Cardiovascular  Blood.  Transport of substances e.g. gases,  Interacts with respiratory system to regulate gases.
 Heart. (cardiac smooth muscle nutrients, waste, hormones.  Interacts with urinary system as excretes waste for
under involuntary control)  Regulation. regulation and water content.
 Blood vessels.  Temperature regulation.  Interacts with endocrine system as transports
 Water content regulation. hormones.
 Defence against disease. (WBCs)
 Repair of tissues.
Lymphatic and  Lymphatic fluid.  Returns proteins and fluid to blood. Lymphatic fluid formed from tissue fluid moving from
Immune  Lymphatic vessels & lymph nodes.  Carries lipids from GI tract to blood. blood into tissue. Arterial end of capillary – high blood
 Bone marrow (WBC formed),  Protects against disease and cancer. pressure, fluid move out of blood into tissue and vice
spleen (WBC maturation), thymus, (lymph full of WBC) versa at venous end due to lower pressure in capillary. Not
tonsils. all fluid can be reabsorbed into capillary – goes onto form
lymph.
Endocrine  Hormone producing glands.  Co-ordinates body functions. Pituitary - growth hormone.
E.g. hypothalamus, pituitary, thymus,  Releases hormones from glands to have Vasopressin - water regulation Oxytocin - maternal
thyroid gland, adrenal glands, pancreas, effect on target organs. bonding & lactation.
ovaries and testes. Thyroid gland - thyroxin
Pancreas - insulin & glucagon
Adrenal gland – adrenaline & cortisol (stress hormones)
Testes – testosterone.
 Ovary – oestrogen progesterone
Nervous  Brain.  Generate nerve impulses to regulate body CNS & PNS
 Spinal cord. activities.  Interacts with all body systems to generate reaction.
 Nerves.  Detects stimuli and responds to them.  Interacts with muscles and glands. (skeletal and
 Special sense organs. E.g. eyes,  Initiates muscles contraction or gland endocrine)
ears. secretion. Thermoreceptors = body temp.
Baroreceptors = blood pressure.
Osmoreceptors = concentration of body fluids
Chemoreceptors = chemicals in the body
Respiratory  Lungs and air passages.  Gaseous exchange.  interacts with cardiovascular system as oxygenates
 Pharynx (throat), larynx. (voice  Regulates acid-base balance of body blood.
box) fluids. (important role in regulating body
 Trachea, bronchioles, alveoli. pH)
 Enables sound production when air passes
through vocal cords.
Digestive Organs of the GI tract:  Physical and chemical breakdown of  Pancreas interacts with endocrine system as secretes
 Mouth. food. hormones e.g. insulin to break down glucose.
 Pharynx.  Absorbs nutrients.
 Oesophagus.  Eliminates solid waste.
 Stomach.
 Small and large intestines.
Accessory organs:
 Salivary glands.
 Gall bladder.
 Liver.
 Pancreas.
Urinary  Kidneys.  Produce, store, eliminate urine.  Interacts with brain to release ADH to make us
 Ureters.  Eliminates metabolic wastes. conserve water.
 Bladder.  Regulates volume and chemical  Kidneys produce erythropoietin which acts on red bone
 Urethra. composition of the blood. marrow to produce RBC.
 Helps to maintain the acid-base balance of
the body fluids.
 Regulates production of red blood cells.
Reproductive Female:  Gametes production. Sexually dimorphic – different in makes and females.
 Ovaries.  Hormone release – regulate reproduction
 Uterus. and associated body changes during
 Fallopian tubes. puberty
 Vagina.
Male:
 Testes.
 Epididymis.
 Vas deferens.
 Penis.