Organ Systems Flashcards
Are plants multicellular?
Yes, all true plants are considered multicellular organisms. They have systems and structures similar to us. This is what allows plants to grow, adapt, reproduce, and respond to stimuli (like the sun).
Why is it important for our body systems to interact with each other?
When different systems work together, they can perform different functions! Without the teamwork of our body systems, we would not be able to breathe or move!
Why is it important to chew your food?
When you break down the food you eat, it makes it easier for it to pass through your digestive system. It also makes it easier for the body to absorb nutrients from the food.
Does the digestive process begin before or after you put food into your mouth?
Before! We start to produce saliva while we are waiting for our food to travel from our plate to our mouth. This is because we need saliva to help our teeth chew and break down food so it is soft enough to swallow.
Give an example of an animal that has a special digestive system.
Answers will vary. One example would be owls who regurgitate a pellet with the bones and fur of prey that they cannot digest.
What are scatologists?
Scientists who make their living from studying feces to determine a variety of things about the animals or humans who made it. Digestive systems are designed for different diets!
Where do plants get their nutrients to survive?
Normally, plants get their nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus from the soil or pond water that they’re growing in. But sometimes plants live in places where they can’t get enough nutrients from the soil. This is why some plants have developed the ability to get nutrients from unsuspecting prey, such as insects!
Smooth muscles, also called involuntary muscles, are muscles that we don’t have to think about controlling. Our brain receives a chemical signal which tells the muscle to do its job.
Give an example of smooth muscles in humans.
You can find smooth muscles in the walls of your stomach. This is the muscle that contracts to help break down the bolus (food that has been chewed up).
Cardiac muscle can only be found in our heart, this muscle is what helps our heart to beat.
Give an example of cardiac muscles in humans.
The walls of the heart are known as the myocardium, when this muscle contracts and releases it is responsible for keeping the heart pumping blood throughout the body.
Skeletal muscles, also known as voluntary muscles, are attached to our bones by ligaments and tendons. We’re able to control these muscles and they are what allows us to move around.
Give an example of skeletal muscles in humans
Your bicep muscle is attached to the upper bone of your arm (known as the Humerus). This is the main muscle that we use to pick up heavy objects, but it doesn’t work alone! We need many different muscles working together to complete the movements we make.
What type of muscle reacts and uses up energy quickly? Hint: you would find a lot of these muscles in the legs of a sprinter (fast runner).
Fast twitch
What type of muscle reacts slowly, so it can work for longer periods of time? Hint: Muscles in our back do this so we can sit up all day long.
Slow twitch
What system produces most of the body heat that we need to survive?
The muscular system! And our circulatory system is responsible for transporting this heat around the body.
The skeletal system provides us with ___________and _________.
support and protection
Support- our skeleton is what gives us the framework we need so we don’t turn into a blob of muscle and fluids.
Protection- Certain bones, like the ones in our skull, protect our precious brain!
Which part of the skeleton holds your head and upper body upright?
The spine is made up of many small bones, called vertebrae, which helps support your upper body.
Which part of the skeleton protects your lungs?
The rib cage protects your lungs, heart and other vital organs.
