The Human Body
The Main Organs Of The Human Body - Explained
The Human Body |
The Human BodyContents Brain |
| BRAIN |
Location: Internal: Inside the skull.
Function: Controls all the other organs of the body and ensures they work together as a team. What Can Go Wrong (Lots!) |
Description
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| LUNGS |
Location: Inside the ribcage. Function: To feed oxygen into our blood supply and to remove carbon dioxide. Things That Can Go Wrong Lung cancer: Top-killing cancer, see causes of death in women. Asthma: Airway constricts leading to breathing difficulties. Pulmonary embolus: Blood clot that blocks the blood vessels in the lungs. Can cause sudden death. Chronic bronchitis: Airways of the lungs become thickened which limits airflow. Emphysema: Lung tissue breaks down causing difficulties in oxygen passing into the blood. Influenza: Respiratory infection that is caused by a virus. Pneumonia: Severe inflammation of the lungs, causes fluid buildup so the person can't breath. Pleurisy: Inflammation of the lining of the lungs, causes pain when you breathe in. Chest Problems: Symptom checker. |
| Description The lungs are a pair of spongy organs located inside the chest. They are the main part of our respiratory system. Their function is to deliver oxygen into the blood and to remove carbon dioxide from it. When we breathe in, air rushes through our nose or mouth, down the windpipe (trachea) and into the lungs. Once in the lungs the air eventually passes into tiny bubbles called alveoli. The alveoli are covered with equally tiny blood vessels one cell thick. Oxygen seeps from the alveoli into these vessels and the blood supply, and carbon dioxide waste seeps back from the blood for removal when we breathe out. Can I Live Without Them? It is possible to live with one lung, although your physical activity will be severely restricted. It is not possible to live without both lungs. If both lungs are removed because of cancer (thoracotomy), survival will depend on receiving a lung transplant. |
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| HEART |
Location: Between the lungs, slightly to the left side of the chest. Function: To pump oxygenated blood around the body and to return un-oxygenated blood to the lungs. Things That Can Go Wrong Heart Disease: Conditions which affects the heart's function. Coronary Heart Disease: Disease of the heart's arteries. Heart Attack: Blood to the heart is suddenly blocked. Irregular Heartbeat: Heart arrhythmia and palpitations. Congestive Heart Failure: When the heart gradually fails. High Blood Pressure: One of the main causes of heart problems. Chest Pain: There are numerous causes of chest pain. Angina Attacks: Strangling pain in the chest. |
| The heart is located slightly to the left side of your chest. It is a powerful organ made of cardiac muscle. Unlike other muscle in the body, it never tires. Its function is to pump blood around the body, and to do this is contracts and relaxes about 70 times a minute. Blood is a liquid that carries oxygen and food supplies to the cells of the body and takes waste and carbon dioxide away. It also distributes hormones and chemicals. Blood is transported around the body by a network of 100,000 km's of veins and smaller veins called capillaries. Yet it only takes less than 90 seconds for blood to circulate through this entire system. The system itself is called the cardiovascular or circulatory system. The heart is supplied with blood by the coronary arteries. If they become clogged with fat overtime blood flow will be restricted and a heart attack can occur (how a heart attack happens). Alternatively the heart can develop a mechanical fault which gradually weakens its pumping ability; this is known as congestive heart failure. Can I Live Without It? No, the heart is a vital organ. If the heart suddenly stops pumping, the person will die within seconds (sudden cardiac arrest). To assist in this situation read about hands only CPR. In other heart failure situations doctors can insert an artificial pump (ventricular assist device) to keep blood flowing, but this is only a temporary measure for people waiting for a heart transplant. Related Questions What is blood? |
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| LIVER |
Location: Under the diaphragm, slightly to the right side of the body. Function: To rid toxins from the blood, to control blood sugar and produce bile for digestion purposes. Things That Can Go Wrong |
Description
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| SPLEEN |
Location: Left side of the body, near the stomach. It is about as big as your fist. Function: Cleans the blood, destroys old red blood cells and fights infections. What Can Go Wrong: Rupture: The spleen can be damaged by injury causing it to rupture. Enlarge: It can become enlarged (splenomegaly) and rupture. |
Description
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| PANCREAS |
Location: Top of the small intestines. Function: To secrete digestive enzymes to aid digestion and hormones to control blood sugar levels. What Can Go Wrong: Type 1 Diabetes: Pancreas no longer produce insulin. Type 2 Diabetes: The pancreas loses it's ability to secrete enough insulin. Pancreatitis: Inflammation of the pancreas. Cystic fibrosis: A genetic disorder. Pancreatic cancer: Fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. |
| Description When you eat, the pancreas secretes digestive juices into the first part of the small intestines called the duodenum. These juices aid the digestion process by breaking down protein, fats and carbohydrates. They also contain sodium bicarbonate which neutralizes the acid coming from the stomach. Another important role of the pancreas is to control levels of sugar in the blood. It does this by secreting 3 substances: (1) insulin, which stimulates cells to use sugar (glucose), thus lowering sugar levels and (2) glucagon- has the opposite effect and triggers cells to release glucose, increasing blood sugar levels. It acts as a control mechanism for the body produces too much insulin and (3) somatostatin, which appears to regulate insulin and glucagon. What Can Go Wrong As the pancreas is embedded so deep in the body, it can be difficult to diagnose when things go wrong with it. The most common conditions linked to it are: Type 1 Diabetes: The cells of the pancreas no longer produce insulin because they have been attacked by the body's immune system. Type 2 Diabetes: The pancreas loses it's ability to secrete enough insulin. Pancreatitis: Inflammation of the pancreas where the pancreatic enzymes start digesting the pancreas itself. Alcohol abuse or gallstones can cause this problem. Cystic fibrosis: A genetic disorder which cause the pancreas tubes to become blocked with a sticky mucus. Pancreatic cancer: Fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. Can I live Without It? Yes it is possible to live without the pancreas, but you will need to take insulin daily as well as pancreatic enzyme supplements to help digestion. |
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| KIDNEYS |
Location: At the bottom of the ribcage, towards the back of the body. Function: To clean the blood and make urine from the waste products. Note: Kidney function is sometimes referred to as 'renal function'. It means the same thing. What Can Go Wrong |
| Description The kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped organs located in the small of the back. Their role is to clean the blood and keep the level of water in the body under control. They draw water and other substances from the blood and dispel any waste products through urine. They work cleverly, only taking unnecessary water out of the body. So if you drink a lot of liquids, you will urinate a lot, this is to stop too much water swishing around the cells and bloating. If you don't drink much, you will produce your kidneys will produce less and more concentrated urine. Urine runs from each kidney down a tube called a urethra and into the bladder. When the bladder is full you will feel the urge to urinate. All blood in the body flows through the kidneys every 10 minutes, so your blood is filtered 150 times a day. Your kidneys also have a role in regulating blood pressure. If blood pressure drops, they secrete an enzyme called renin. Renin triggers a chain of biological events that cause the kidneys to absorb more water and salt, thus raising blood pressure. What Can Go Wrong Most renal (kidney) failure takes years to happen, it is not normally an overnight problem. Common condition which damage the kidneys include uncontrolled diabetes and high blood pressure. Poisoning (by taking certain prescription medications) or a blow to the kidneys can also lead to disease. Extreme trauma, a blow directly to the kidneys could cause instant failure. Signs of failure include darkened skin, need to urinate more often, feeling itchy or numb, feeling tired and having muscle cramps. Can I Live Without Them? You can live a healthy and normal life with just one kidney. However, if both kidneys are damaged and about 90 percent of kidney function has been lost, you can only survive with dialysis. A dialysis machine works like an artificial kidney replicating the blood cleaning action. In extreme cases of kidney failure, long-term survival is only usually possible with donor organs. |
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| BLADDER |
Location: In the pelvis, behind the pelvic bone. Function: To store urine until you are ready to urinate. Read about the urinary system. What Can Go Wrong Urinary Tract Infection: Also called cystitis. Urinary Incontinence: Leakages when you sneeze. Interstitial Cystitis: Inflammation of the bladder wall. Bladder Cancer: Relatively common type of cancer. |
| Description The average adult bladder can comfortably hold about a pint of water, beyond this it stretches to a point where it can be painful. Once it starts to fill the bladder walls sends a nerve message to the brain that it is starting to get full and needs to be emptied. This is when you become aware of it and can make a conscious decision to go to the toilet. Urine flows out of the bladder down a tube called the urethra. The opening between the bladder and urethra is controlled by a sphincter muscle. When you decide you want to urinate, this sphincter muscles relaxes and urine flows down the urethra and out of the body. The urethra tube is much shorter in a woman than a man, which is why she is more prone to urinary tract infections. A woman's urethra is about 2.5cm long, compared to a man's which on average is 15cm. A shorter urethra means a shorter distance for the bacteria to travel to infect the bladder. The urethra starts at the bladder and ends at the vaginal opening. As the end is located very close to the anus, this is a common source of bacteria. What Can Go Wrong A urinary tract infection of the bladder, also known as cystitis is the most common problem. Other issues include urinary incontinence (loss of bladder control), interstitial cystitis and bladder cancer (6th most common cancer in the U.S.). Can I Live Without It? Yes you can live without your bladder but an alternative method of collecting your urine will be necessary. Surgical removal of the bladder (usually due to cancer) is called a cystectomy. Once it is taken out, the surgeon will either create a pouch inside your body with part of your intestines to act as a bladder, or you will need to wear an external bag to store urine outside the body. |
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| SMALL INTESTINES |
Location: Abdomen Function: To digest food and absorb the nutrients into the blood. Together the small and large intestines are also known as your bowels. What Can Go Wrong |
| Description The small intestines are 5 meters long and look like a pile of coiled sausages. Although it is longer than the large intestines, it is smaller in width which is why it is called the 'small' intestines. The first section is called the duodenum. The stomach squirts small amounts of food into the duodenum where it is combined with digestives juices (bile) from the pancreas. Bile is rich in enzymes which helps to break down carbohydrates and fats; it also contains sodium bicarbonate which neutralizes the stomach acid. Food is moved along the intestines by a muscular movement called peristalsis. The lining of the intestines is covered in tiny finger-like projections called microvilli which increase the overall surface area for absorption significantly. Each microvillus contains a tiny blood vessel, through which nutrients are absorbed from the food and into the blood supply. This is how you absorb nutrients from your food. By the time food passes from the small into the large intestines, no more breaking down is necessary. Can I Live Without It? Yes you can. Some people do have part or all of their small intestine removed (small bowel resection), either because it is diseased (by cancer) or blocked due to a birth defect. In most cases the diseased or blocked part is removed and both healthy ends are then reconnected. If the entire small intestines needs to be removed the surgeon will make an opening in your stomach to attach a drainage bag which you need to empty regularly. This surgery is known as an ileostomy. |
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| LARGE INTESTINES |
Location: Surrounds the small intestines. Function: Absorb water from food passed from the small intestines and turns the remaining waste product into feces. What Can Go Wrong |
| Description The large intestine is about 1.5 meters long, it consists of the cecum (the first part of the large intestines to which the appendix is attached to) and the colon. Food spends up to 16 hours in this last stage of the digestive tract. The role of the large intestine is not to break food down, this was completed in the small intestines. Instead, its role is to absorb vitamins and water and to compact the remaining waste product into feces. The feces is stored in the rectum until it can be discharged via the anus. The large intestines is home to over 700 species of bacteria (bacterial flora) which play and important role in keeping our body healthy. They produce lots of vitamins, particularly vitamin K and biotin (a type of B vitamin) for absorption by the blood. This source of vitamins is particularly important at times when dietary intake is low. What Can Go Wrong A huge range of problems, for example diverticulitis or abscesses can form which perforate the lining of the intestines. Rectal or colon cancer can cause blockages. Minor issues like thread worms can cause an itchy bottom and constipation can cause tummy aches and excess gas. Can I Live Without It? Yes you can. Surgery to remove part or all of the large intestines is called a colectomy. If enough of the intestine is not damaged, the 'bad' part can be removed and then the healthy parts can be re-sewn back together. This is a relatively common surgery and most patients go on to make a full recovery. If the entire large intestines needs to be removed a colostomy is necessary. This is where the end of the intestine is pulled through the abdominal wall, and a colostomy bag is attached for removal of waste. |
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| Other Useful Guides
Recommended Health Screenings For Women: Including Pap smear and mammograms. Back To Homepage: Womens Health Advice |
WOMENS HEALTH ADVICE: ABOUT THE HUMAN BODY |