the body systems Flashcards
name all 10 body systems
- cardiovascular
- respiratory
- gastro intestinal
- lymphatic
- nervous
- reproductive
- urinary
- endocrine (hormones)
- musculoskeletal
- integumentary (skin)
how long do
1. skin cells
2. red blood cells
last for
skin = every 3 months
RBCs = 120 days
what are cells
the basic structural and functional unit of our body
why do all cells require energy (2)
- to carry out the common metabolic processes that keep them alive e.g. maintenance of internal cell pH for cell enzyme function
- to perform their specific functions e.g. cardiac muscle cell contraction to make the heart pump
what do cells use ATP for
to be able to undertake their functions
what is used to produce ATP
oxygen and nutrient molecules e.g. glucose which we obtain from food
what is an organ and what is it made up of
a group of tissues acting together to perform a specific function
- made up of the 4 basic tissue types
what is a system e.g. respiratory system
collections of organs that have related functions and work together to carry out a common goal
- this goal is essential for for survival
which system gets nutrients in to our blood and where does it run from
the gastrointestinal system
- runs from mouth to anus
why are large molecules digested in to small molecules in the GI system
so that these molecules can be absorbed in to the veins (and lymphatic system) of the small intestine
where does venous blood from the absorptive parts of the GI tract drain first and why (3)
the liver
- the liver stores nutrients, makes other products from them or returns them in to the venous system
- it can also metabolise/detoxify potentially harmful substances absorbed from the GI tract
venous blood is generally deoxygenated and arterial blood is generally oxygenated, what is the exception to this
the pulmonary artery carries deoxygenated blood away from the heart and to the lungs, the pulmonary vein carries oxygenated blood back to the heart from the lungs
what system delivers nutrients to the cells and what is it made up of
the cardiovascular system
- made up of the heart and blood vessels
how is the heart described in the cardiovascular system
the pump of the cardiovascular system
describe the pathway that absorbed nutrients take
- they are first passed in to the veins of the GI tract to the lliver
- venous blood from the liver containing these nutrients then drains back to the heart (once the blood has been ‘cleaned’) to be distributed to the rest of the body
what side of the heart is
1. venous
2. arterial
blood pumped from
- the right side pumps venous blood (to the lungs)
- the left side pumps arterial blood (to all the other tissues and organs)
what happens at capillaries
there’s an exchange of nutrients and oxygen going to the organs and waste is put in to the blood system
describe the order of blood vessels that go from the heart, to the body and back again
heart - arteries - arterioles - capillaries - venules - veins - heart
how much oxygen does normal air contain
20%
what system gets oxygen in to the blood
the respiratory system
describe the respiratory tree
trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli
describe what alveoli are covered in and how this allows for easy diffusion
the very thin walled alveoli is covered in many thin walled capillaries
- this allows oxygen to be transferred by diffusion in to the blood and CO2 to be transferred in to the lungs
- the now oxygenated blood then returns to the heart to be pumped to all of the cells around the body
what system delivers oxygen to cells
the haematological system
- and the cardiovascular system
describe haemoglobin (2)
- found in red blood cells
- reversibly (can be undone) binds to oxygen in the lungs
- carries this oxygen to all the capillary beds where it is released to be delivered to cells
what things are found in the blood
- red blood cells which transport oxygen
- white blood cells for immune system
- platelets for blood clotting
what is a low haemoglobin level called and what can it cause
anaemia which can cause breathlessness
how is oxygen and carbon dioxide exchanged at capillary beds of all the bodies cells
they diffuse between blood and cells on a concentration gradient
what is excess fluid left in the tissues, in the extracellular spaces called and what does it become
it is called tissue fluid
- once this fluid is taken up by lymphatic vessels it is called lymph
describe the thoracic duct (2)
- major lymphatic vessel in the body (only one able to be seen during dissection)
- returns lymph to large veins in the root of the neck
why are lymph nodes and pathways used to determine if there is an infection or illness
normal lymph nodes cannot be palpated
- lymph nodes fighting infection or being infiltrate dry a spreading cancer usually enlarge and can be palpated
what systems (2) remove waste from the body and give an example of the different types of waste
the respiratory and renal (kidneys) system
- lactic acid produced by muscles during heavy exercise
- carbon dioxide and water are waste profits from the reduction of ATP
- CO2 and water can combine to form carbonic acid
- all of these acids could affect the pH of the body
why is it important to maintain the pH of the body
the pH of the body must remain within certain limits for things like enzyme function, cells and tissues
what waste products are excreted via the
1. GI
2. renal
3. lymphatic
systems
- cellular debris from the internal lining of the GI tract, indigestable foodstuff and GI tract bacteria, commensals and pathogens all pass through the GI tract and leave as faeces
- drugs deactivated by metabolism in the liver are extracted via urine or faeces
- foreign bodies e.g. inhaled atmospheric carbon particles/microorganisms/cancer cells, can drain via lymphatics to lymph nodes (immune function)
what does the integumentary system provide us with (2)
- our skin (integument) is the body’s first line of defence against the external environment
- it provides our body with; a physical defence against trauma, a waterproof barrier, it helps to regulate body temperature, protects us against uv radiation to a degree
what does the nervous system do and what is it made up of
it allows is to sense our environment (sense what’s wrong) and to effect an appropriate response (react)
- sensory part, motor part and central connections between the two (brain, spinal chord)
what does the endocrine system do and what is it made up of
it regulates the processes in our body by secreting hormones directly in to the gland’s capillary blood e.g. the release of insulin from the pancreas regulates the uptake of glucose in to the cells
- consists mainly of a number of organs called endocrine glands at various anatomical positions of the body e.g. thyroid gland, parathyroid gland, adrenal glands, piruatory gland, pancreas, ovary, testes
what does the musculoskeletal system do for us
- closely linked to our nervous system
- skeletal muscle contraction moves the muscle at joints to produce locomotion
- this system is both essential and protective as it allows us to breath and gives us locomotion (so we can go and find shelter and food)
why is the reproductive system different to all other systems
because it is not necessary for the survival of the individual but it is vital for the survival or the species
