The Body's Systems PDF

The body’s systems Did you ever wonder what you are made of? About what is inside of you? Your body is a very complicated machine. In order to understand how it works, you have to know some fundamental facts about it. Cells make up the tissues of your body. Tissues make up organs. Every organ has...

The body’s systems Did you ever wonder what you are made of? About what is inside of you? Your body is a very complicated machine. In order to understand how it works, you have to know some fundamental facts about it. Cells make up the tissues of your body. Tissues make up organs. Every organ has a special job. Organs make up organ systems. The nervous system, especially the brain, controls our actions, thoughts and feelings and tells the body what to do. Without our brain we would feel neither love nor anger, and life would be totally boring. Each side of the brain controls the opposite side of the body. The nervous system gets messages and sends out messages as small electrical impulses. Your body works by getting instructions from the brain. Nerves tell the muscles what to do. On the one hand, your brain can tell your arm to move and to stroke a patient or your boyfriend. This is a conscious decision. You don’t have to do it, but you want to do it. The muscles will move your arm. On the other hand, you cannot tell your lungs to breathe or your stomach to digest the cheeseburger you have just eaten. Digestion, breathing, heart beating and blood circulation are autonomous functions. The digestive system is composed of the mouth, the throat, the stomach and the intestines. It also includes the liver, the gall bladder and the pancreas. The liver is the largest gland of the body. It produces bile. The urinary system cleans blood and urine. It consists of the kidneys, the bladder, the ureter and the urethra. The kidneys work like filters and remove wastes from the body. The respiratory system consists of the nose, the windpipe and the lungs. The blood transports oxygen into the lungs. The circulation system includes he heart, the blood vessels (arteries, veins) and the lymph vessels. The heart pumps the blood through the body. Blood takes oxygen and nutrients to the cells and takes waste products from them. Arteries carry the blood from the heart to the cells, veins carry the blood back to the heart. The blood is purified by the liver and the kidneys. The endocrine system produces hormones that tell the organs to fulfil certain tasks. Glands like the pancreas release hormones. Hormones kike estrogen, insulin adrenaline and cortisone swim in your blood to the organs. The male reproductive system includes the penis and the testes. The female reproductive system includes the uterus, the ovaries, the fallopian tubes and the vagina. The immune system defends the body against attacks from microorganisms (bacteria, viruses and fungi). The skeleton protects the organs. It consists of 206 bones, joints and cartilage. It works together with the muscles and the skin. The skin is the largest organ of the body. Taken from: Apel, Iris: Get Well! Englisch für Gesundheitsberufe, Stam Verlag, Köln, 1996, S. 31 Tasks: - Check pronunciation of the words in italics (kursiv) [Some may occur more than once.] - Read the text aloud. Be careful with pronunciation. (Maybe you can find somebody who listens to your reading and tells you any mistakes.) - Write down the function of the following organs / parts. You can find all the information in the text. 1. brain 2. liver (2) 3. kidneys (2) 4. blood 5. heart 6. veins 7. arteries 8. immune system 9. skeleton