A Kid's Health Guide: The Human Body Systems
Have you ever wondered how your body works? The human body has many different systems that work together to carry out the functions and movements that you perform every day.
It is important to learn about the human body in order to keep it healthy and operating in optimal condition. There are nine main human body systems that keep our body functioning, yet they all perform very different tasks. It is their collaborative effort that keeps the body running smoothly. The circulatory system controls blood flow through all the systems of the body. The immune system keeps our body from getting sick. The digestive system helps move food and liquid we eat and drink through the body, while the excretory system removes all of the waste from our bodies. The skeletal and muscular system helps our body bend, walk and move around. The endocrine system controls all of the chemicals that need to move through the body. The nervous system uses electricity to communicate everything to the brain and the respiratory system helps oxygen move through the body so we can breath. Each of these systems are important to keeping our bodies alive. Look to the many resources below to learn more about how each system works in the human body.
Circulatory System
This system in the body helps to move all of the different matter through the body. The circulatory system moves blood, oxygen, and nutrients through to make sure all of the cells get enough of these necessary materials. The three main parts of the circulatory system are the heart, lungs and the blood vessels. All three parts help transport the nutrients, oxygen and blood throughout the body.
Immune System
The body's immune system helps protect the body against diseases and sicknesses. There are many different parts of this system that work together. The immune system gets rid of disease by attacking the germs and taking them out of the body. When a person gets a cold, the body is removing the germs through the nose by activating the mucous membranes to produce more mucous. This is why a person with a cold has a runny nose. This is the body's immune system response - taking germs out of the body.
Skeletal System
The skeletal system is responsible for protecting the major organs in the body. The skeleton system gives us shape and also allows us to move around. The bones are connected by joints, ligaments and cartilage. Bones are filled with marrow where red and white blood cells are created and moved throughout the body with the circulatory system.
Muscular System
The muscular system works with the skeletal system to help the body move around and bend. The tissues in the muscles are responsible for heating and cooling the body underneath the body's skin. There are many muscles in the body that are not controlled and they are called involuntary muscles. There are also many muscles that are controlled called voluntary muscle groups. All of the muscles in the body work very closely with the nervous system.
Endocrine System
The endocrine system is a system made up of several glands throughout the body. These glands are responsible for moving hormones and chemicals throughout the body. These hormones control many functions in the body such as a person's mood, how much and how fast a person grows, and how fast food and its nutrients move throughout the body. The endocrine system influences every system in the human body.
Digestive System
The digestive systems helps turn food into a form that the body can absorb nutrients from. The nutrients absorbed through the digestive system are carried throughout the body with the circulatory system. The food that is eaten is broken down into particles and passed through the digestive tract. This different parts of this system includes the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, the colon and the rectum. All of these parts work together to pass food through the body while absorbing the nutrients the body needs to live.
Excretory System
The human body gets rid of waste through the excretory system. The main parts of this system are the liver, kidney and skin. The body gets rid of the toxins that are not good for your health when going to the bathroom. The liver is like a filter helping the body to catch the toxins and take them out of the body. The kidneys take the excess salt out of the body. The skin takes the excess water, salt and other waste products out of the body through sweating. This is system is important in order to keep waste out of the body's other systems and keep the body running clean.
Nervous System
The body contains many different connections called neurons that communicate everything throughout our body. Nerve messages are sent between neurons that are responsible for all the communication in our body. For example, when the air is cold outside, out neurons send messages to our brain that our skin is cold. This is how we know to put warmer clothes on. The nervous system is responsible for controlling all of the body's senses such as hearing, tasting, smelling, touching and seeing. The biggest function in the nervous system is the brain.
Respiratory System
The respiratory system helps bring oxygen into our bodies. The lungs are controlled by the respiratory system. The air moves through air sacs and is carried throughout the body with the circulatory system. Many different parts of the body work together to move the oxygen through the body. The nose, the diaphragm, and the windpipe are all responsible for helping bring air into the body.
