Body Systems

Introduction

The human body is made up of interlocking and mutually functional systems composed of bodily organs, blood vessels, and body tissues to form life. The list of body systems in the human body are the skeletal system, the excretory system, the endocrine system, the respiratory system, the reproductive system, the lymphatic system, the urinary system, the nervous system, the muscular system, the digestive system, the cardiovascular system, the integumentary system, the urinary system and the immune system. Some of the listed systems are sub systems. An example is the urinary system which is part of the excretory system.

An Overview of basic Body Systems:

1. THE SKELETAL SYSTEM: This is made up of bones which are white, rigid structures which provide body shape and support as well as protection for the organs of the body.
2. THE EXCRETORY SYSTEM: This is the system that helps the body to get rid of waste products such as urine, excreta, and sweat from the body. There are many metabolic processes going on in the body and these give rise to waste products which might be toxic if not removed from the body.
3. THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM: This is the system that produces chemical substances such as hormones that control and regulate the body’s metabolic processes. It is made up of various glands such as the pituitary gland, the thyroid gland, the salivary gland. The hormones produced by these glands are responsible for developmental and maintenance activities in the body such as growth, development of secondary sexual characteristics and so on.
4. THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM: The respiratory system is made of the lungs and the trachea (wind pipe) which control gaseous exchanges between the body and the environment. This gaseous exchange (respiration) is needed to provide energy for the various activities of the body.
5. THE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM: This is the system responsible for the production of new offspring. It is made of the sexual organs which are different for the male and female species.
6. THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM: The lymphatic system is a supportive system that helps both the cardiovascular and immune systems by draining lymphatic fluid
7. THE URINARY SYSTEM: The urinary system is a subsystem of the excretory system. It helps to remove urine from the body
8. THE IMMUNE SYSTEM: This system is made of specialized blood cells which help to defend the body against disease agents such as bacteria and virus. These white blood cells are of three types, the phagocytes, the thrombocytes, and the lymphocytes
9. THE INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM: This is made up of exocrine glands such as the skin, hair, and nails.