Overview
This lecture introduces the main internal human body organs and summarizes their primary functions.
Respiratory System
- Lungs enable breathing, a process known as respiration.
Digestive System
- Stomach receives food, mixes, breaks it down, and passes it to the small intestine.
- Small intestine digests food further and absorbs nutrients (vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and water).
- Large intestine absorbs water and electrolytes, produces and absorbs vitamins, and forms feces for elimination.
- Liver removes waste and foreign substances from blood, regulates blood sugar, and creates essential nutrients.
- Gallbladder stores and concentrates bile from the liver.
- Pancreas regulates blood sugar levels and stimulates stomach acids.
Excretory System
- Kidneys remove wastes and extra fluids from the body.
- Bladder stores urine and contracts to expel urine via the urethra.
Circulatory System
- Heart pumps and circulates blood throughout the body.
- Spleen filters blood by removing old and damaged red blood cells.
Endocrine System
- Thyroid gland controls metabolism, growth, and development.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Respiration — the process of breathing in lungs to exchange gases.
- Small intestine — the organ where digestion is completed and nutrients are absorbed.
- Pancreas — gland that regulates blood sugar and aids digestion.
- Spleen — organ that filters blood and removes old red blood cells.
- Gallbladder — organ that stores bile for fat digestion.
- Thyroid gland — gland that regulates metabolism, growth, and development.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review each organ's function for better understanding.
- Be able to match each organ to its primary role in the human body.