Science

What is the human body? »Its definition and meaning

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The word body comes from the Latin "corpus" referring to the trunk of the human figure. The human body as a whole basically fulfills three functions; relationship, nutrition and reproduction. The relationship function allows the body to adapt at all times to changes. For this it has the nervous system in charge of capturing, processing and interpreting the information. The nutrition function allows cells to obtain the necessary energy to carry out their specific functions. Finally the function of reproduction allows the organism to give rise to one or more individuals similar to it, ensuring the continuity of the species.

What is the human body

Table of Contents

It is a physical and organic structure made up of the head, trunk, arms, and legs that make up the upper and lower extremities respectively. This is covered by skin and composed of chemical elements such as hydrogen and oxygen that are vital for its operation. In addition, it is also formed by a series of systems such as the respiratory, circulatory, digestive, endocrine, among others.

There are different sciences that are responsible for the study of the human organism, such as: physiology who studies its functions, anthropometry studies the proportions and measurements of the body and anatomy that analyzes its macroscopic structures.

Human body parts

The human body is composed of three parts that detail its appearance, these are the head, trunk and extremities, as well as systems that make its operation possible.

  • Head: Corresponds to the upper part of the body and is formed, externally, by the eyes, the nose, the eyebrows, the mouth, the cheeks, the ears and the chin or chin.
  • The trunk: It is the intermediate structure of the body, which connects the head with the rest of it through the neck. Its external structure is formed by the breasts (in the case of women), the chest, the navel, the waist, the back, the groin and the upper and lower abdomen. In the groin area are the reproductive organs.
  • The extremities: These are formed by the arms also called upper extremities and the legs as the lower extremities. The main function of both is to guarantee the mobility of the body, as well as its mechanical activities, for this reason, they form the locomotor system.
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How many bones has the human body

The set of bones that make up the human body is called the skeleton. The man has approximately 203 bones, not counting the teeth. This number can vary according to the individual, because there are a series of small ossicles, called sesamoids present in the fingers and the skull, which may or may not be present.

These can be differentiated according to their size and shape, for this reason it is said that there are three types that are:

  • The long bones: Among them are those of the extremities, they are cylindrical and elongated. They have a central or diaphysis body and two ends called the epiphysis. Among them can be named: the humerus, radius, tibia, ulna, femur, fibula, as well as the bones of the fingers and toes.
  • Flat bones: These are bones such as the sternum, the skull, the ribs, which are thin, flat and wide, called iliac. They have an outer layer of compact bone tissue and are filled with spongy bone tissue.
  • Short bones: Like the vertebrae and carpal bones of the hand and tarsus of the feet, they are small and have a cubic or cylindrical shape. Like flat bones, they have an outer layer of compact bone tissue and filled with spongy bone tissue.

Organs of the human body

The organs of the body are formed by a grouping of various tissues, whose activities come together to achieve a certain function.

An organ is considered any set of associated organic tissues that make up a structured and organized whole as a unit, being able to perform one or several specific functions within the body. In general, the organs are linked to each other creating different structures, which when joined are responsible for regulating the different processes linked to specific physiological and behavioral functions.

The main ones are:

  • Heart.
  • Brain.
  • Lungs
  • Kidneys
  • Stomach.
  • Liver.
  • Pancreas.
  • Intestines, thick and thin.
  • Prostate.
  • Ovaries
  • Eyes
  • Human body systems

    The body systems are:

    Circulatory system

    The circulatory system is an anatomical structure that is composed of two subsystems that are:

    1. The cardiovascular subsystem: It is formed by an extensive network of blood vessels, which channel blood and distribute it to all corners of the body and to the heart, this being a powerful muscular pump that drives blood and keeps it moving during the entire life of the individual.

    The organs that make up this subsystem are in communication with each other, forming a large circuit. The heart is in charge of pumping blood to and from the tissues and the blood vessels are the conductors of different gauges, more or less elastic that carry the blood inside.

    2. The lymphatic subsystem: It is made up of a set of structures whose main function is to drain lymph, metabolic waste products, a liquid formed by excess water and the organic remains of the tissues. It should be added that this subsystem is made up of the lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes.

    Respiratory system

    It is a set of structures that allow respiration, that is, the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the blood and the atmospheric environment. To survive and perform their functions properly, the body's cells require a continuous supply of oxygen and certain nutritional substances that allow them to obtain energy and basic elements that take part in chemical reactions. The respiratory system consists schematically of the airways or respiratory tract and the lungs.

    The airways are made up of:

    • Nose.
    • Pharynx.
    • Epiglottis.
    • Larynx.
    • Windpipe.
    • Bronchus.
    • Socket.
    • Intercostal muscles.
    • Diaphragm.

    Digestive system

    It is made up of the various organs that together make up the digestive tract, and some accessory glands. This system carries out the uptake and digestion of food, converting it into more or less elemental particles, as well as the absorption of said substance into the circulatory stream.

    In a schematic way, the digestive system is composed of a large digestive tube which begins from the mouth and ends in the anus, and by adjacent organs that are known as attached glands, which are the salivary glands, the liver, the pancreas, among others and are those that make secretions such as saliva, bile, pancreatic juice, which flow into the digestive tract.

    With the exception of the mouth and esophagus, the entire digestive system is located inside the abdominal cavity. The stomach and the small and large intestine are hollow organs through which food circulates and where digestion and absorption take place.

    Excretory system or urinary system

    It is composed of a series of organs located inside the abdominal cavity and in the pelvis, they are responsible for preparing, storing and evacuating urine. This function is essential to maintain internal balance, to eliminate excess water and so that the body can release various more or less toxic substances, which, if accumulated, would be harmful.

    This system is made up of:

    • The kidneys: are responsible for the formation of urine.
    • The ureters: are responsible for transporting urine to the bladder.
    • The bladder: works as urine storage.
    • The urethra: whose function is the elimination of urine.
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    Endocrine system

    It comprises a series of organs and tissues known as endocrine glands, which are responsible, together, for maintaining the balance of the internal environment of the body. The endocrine glands can fulfill this mission thanks to a very particular characteristic in all of them, which is to manufacture and pour substances known as hormones into the blood, these have the function of coordinating more or less complex activities in various tissues of the organism.

    The body has numerous endocrine glands, some of which are part of other devices or systems, such as the endocrine glands of the digestive mucosa, which secrete hormones that regulate the transit of the food bolus, or control the production of secretions digestive.

    Some of the glands of this system are more specific, since they are in charge of manufacturing hormones, which are not related to exclusive activities of a certain apparatus, but rather coordinate more global functions, which develop in tissues or organs more or less distant from each other. The most important of these are the so-called hypothalamic-pituitary axis, the pineal gland, the thyroid and parathyroids, the endocrine pancreas and the adrenal glands.

    Nervous system

    The nervous system is made up of a series of organs and structures that are responsible for coordinating and regulating the functions of all the organs and systems of the body. This system in the human being is highly evolved and complex, so that it is not only capable of meeting the requirements of perception, processing and generation of orders, but also and in a very particular way, it has the possibility of carrying out what is required. they call higher or intellectual functions, such as memory, the capacity for abstraction and thought, and language.

    The nervous system is divided into three subsystems that are:

    1. Central nervous: It is made up of structures that are housed inside the skull and the spinal column, it is formed by the spinal cord and the brain, both covered by bones.

    2. Peripheral nervous: They are the nervous structures that are outside the skull and in the spinal column, that is to say, the peripheral nerves, the nervous ganglia and the nerve plexuses.

    3. Autonomous nervous: Also called vegetative, it comprises a series of structures and mechanisms that have the function of regulating the functioning of the internal viscera. This system is not connected to the cerebral cortex, for this reason, unlike the rest of the nervous systems, it does not generate or transmit sensations that are consciously perceived, nor is it responsible for voluntary movements.

    Reproductive system

    This system is made up of the organs and tissues that are involved in the function of reproduction and synthesize sex hormones.

    E n the reproductive gametes or reproductive cells are fabricated, specifically sperm, which are the male reproductive cells and egg cells, which are female. The fusion between an ovum and a sperm gives rise to the egg cell, from which a new being is formed.

    The sex hormones are manufactured by sexulales elements added to organs and blood, they meet the mission to develop and maintain the physiological characteristics and sexual anatomy. Testosterone is the main male sex hormone, progesterone and estrogens are the most important female sex hormones.

    The male genital tract is made up of the testicles, penis, vas deferens, seminal vesicles, prostate, and urethra.

    The female genital tract is made up of the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, the uterus, the vagina, the vulva, and the mammary glands.

    Muscular system

    This system is formed by skeletal or somatic muscles, fleshy structures, which together represent 40% of the body weight of an adult individual, and tendons, which are elongated bands, very rich in collagen fibers, which serve so that the muscles are inserted into the bones. In total, the muscular system has approximately 650 muscles.

    Its main function is to generate the force that prints the movement and maintains the balance of the skeleton. In addition, the muscles play a very important role in the protection and support of the internal organs, as occurs with the muscles of the inner wall of the abdomen, in addition, they intervene in a large number of metabolic processes such as energy storage.

    Skeletal system

    Also known as the bone system, it is made up of a set of solid structures made up of bone tissues called bones.

    The bones fulfill three fundamental functions: to provide support to the organism, to constitute the mobile segments of the system of levers configured together with the joints and muscles and to provide protection to the internal organs and tissues. Other of its important functions are to participate in the metabolism of various minerals, such as calcium or phosphorus, and in the formation of blood, a process in which the bone marrow found inside some bones is involved.

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    Integumentary system

    The integumentary system includes the skin as its main defensive organ and a series of glands and other body elements that accompany it.

    The skin is a thick, resistant and flexible membrane that lines the body. The surface of the skin in an adult ranges between 1.5 and 2 meters and its weight can exceed 4 kgs. This organ is made up of three layers of tissues that from the outside to the inside are the epidermis, the dermis and the hypodermis.

    Also part of this organ are the cutaneous attachments that are the hairs and hair follicles, the sebaceous and sweat glands and the nails.

    How many liters of blood does the human body have

    Blood is a viscous, red liquid that travels within the cardiovascular system. The total volume of the body's blood ranges between 60 and 70 ml per kilogram of weight, so that a person weighing about 70 kg. it has about 5 liters of blood.

    Its main mission is to transport oxygen and nutrients to the tissues or layers, to conduct hormones from the tissues that make it, to the tissues that consume it, and to carry toxic substances and cellular waste to the layers that are responsible for eliminating them from the organism.

    Blood is made up of a liquid part, plasma and a solid part, in addition to cellular elements. Each of these parts accounts for about half the volume of blood.

    How many muscles has the human body

    The human body has approximately 650 muscles, these represent 35-40% of the total body weight. These can be classified into several groups, attending to two different concepts that are their shape and their insertion. Depending on their global morphology, muscles, like bones, can be classified as follows:

    • Long muscles: They are elongated, their length predominates over their width and thickness. They are found mainly in the extremities and cause wide and rapid movements.
    • Wide muscles: They are very flattened, in the form of a layer and with a very little thickness. They are found predominantly in the abdomen and chest area. Its mission is to provide a broad and powerful lining to the two large cavities, the thoracic and the abdominal.
    • Short muscles: they are small and represent various shapes. They are very abundant around the spine. They perform short movements but of great power.

    Anatomy of the human body

    Human anatomy is a discipline that deals with the study of the macroscopic structures of the human body.

    The body is the physical and organic structure of the human being. An adult has 203 bones, while that of a newborn is made up of about 303 bones, since some, especially those of the head, fuse together during the growth stage.

    It consists of head, trunk and limbs, the arms are the upper limbs and the lower legs. The trunk is divided into the thorax and the abdomen and it is the one that gives movement to the upper and lower extremities and the head.

    The human organism is organized in different hierarchical levels. Therefore, it is made up of devices, these are made up of systems, which in turn are made up of organs made up of tissues, which are made up of cells made up of molecules.

    Frequently Asked Questions about Concept

    What is the human body made of?

    Biologically, it is composed of three levels of organization that are built on top of each other, in this sense, cells constitute tissues, tissues form organs, and organs develop systems. Anatomically, it is made up of a head, a trunk and the extremities, chemically it is made up of oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, calcium and phosphorus, and in general, body weight is made up of 65% water.

    Where does the human body get energy from?

    The human being obtains energy through the oxygen that he breathes and the food with which he is nourished, in fact, all the food that he eats provides enough energy to the body, so that its functions can develop efficiently and so that the body can function. to restore, replacing the own losses, caused during the development of daily activities such as running, jogging, walking, swimming, thinking and working.

    What is magnesium for in the human body ?:

    It is used to regulate blood sugar levels, to prevent colorectal cancer, to strengthen bones, to treat constipation, to combat stomach pain, to reduce the intensity of migraine attacks, to deal with depression, stress and anxiety, to increase physical performance, to relieve premenstrual symptoms, to maintain body pH, among other things.

    What is iron for in the human body?

    It is used to treat and prevent anemia, to fall asleep and fight insomnia, to reduce the risks of weakness and fatigue, to strengthen the immune system, to increase body energy levels, to tone the skin, to improve the pathways respiratory, to promote the growth and development of the body, to sharpen mental abilities, to end premenstrual syndrome, etc.

    What is calcium used for in the human body?

    To strengthen bones, to aid in the absorption of vitamin B12, to stimulate hormonal secretion, to regulate muscle contractions of the heart, to treat and prevent the development of osteoporosis, to maintain lean mass, to deal with anxiety, irritability, depression and headaches related to menopause, to reduce high blood pressure, among other things.