The Human Body: Anatomy, Facts &

Functions
By Rachael Rettner, Senior Writer | March 10, 2016 01:45pm ET
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The human body is everything that makes up, well, you. The basic parts of the human body are
the head, neck, torso, arms and legs.

[Image Gallery: The BioDigital Human]

Body systems
Our bodies consist of a number of biological systems that carry out specific functions necessary
for everyday living.

The job of the circulatory system is to move blood, nutrients, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and
hormones, around the body. It consists of the heart, blood, blood vessels,arteries and veins.
The digestive system consists of a series of connected organs that together, allow the body to
break down and absorb food, and remove waste. It includes the mouth, esophagus, stomach,
small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus. The liver and pancreas also play a role in the
digestive system because they produce digestive juices.
The endocrine system consists of eight major glands that secrete hormones into the blood. These
hormones, in turn, travel to different tissues and regulate various bodily functions, such as
metabolism, growth and sexual function.
The immune system is the body's defense against bacteria, viruses and other pathogens that may
be harmful. It includes lymph nodes, the spleen, bone marrow, lymphocytes (including B-cells
and T-cells), the thymus and leukocytes, which are white blood cells.
The lymphatic system includes lymph nodes, lymph ducts and lymph vessels, and also plays a
role in the body's defenses. Its main job is to make is to make and move lymph, a clear fluid that
contains white blood cells, which help the body fight infection. The lymphatic system also
removes excess lymph fluid from bodily tissues, and returns it to the blood.
The nervous system controls both voluntary action (like conscious movement) and involuntary
actions (like breathing), and sends signals to different parts of the body. The central nervous
system includes the brain and spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system consists of nerves that
connect every other part of the body to the central nervous system.
The body's muscular system consists of about 650 muscles that aid in movement, blood flow and
other bodily functions. There are three types of muscle: skeletal muscle which is connected to
bone and helps with voluntary movement, smooth muscle which is found inside organs and helps
to move substances through organs, and cardiac muscle which is found in the heart and helps
pump blood.
The reproductive system allows humans to reproduce. The male reproductive system includes
the penis and the testes, which produce sperm. The female reproductive system consists of the
vagina, the uterus and the ovaries, which produce eggs. During conception, a sperm cell fuses
with an egg cell, which creates a fertilized egg that implants and grows in the uterus.
[Related: Awkward Anatomy: 10 Odd Facts About the Female Body]
Our bodies are supported by the skeletal system, which consists of 206 bones that are connected
by tendons, ligaments and cartilage. The skeleton not only helps us move, but it's also involved
in the production of blood cells and the storage of calcium. The teeth are also part of the skeletal
system, but they aren't considered bones.
The respiratory system allows us to take in vital oxygen and expel carbon dioxide in a process
we call breathing. It consists mainly of the trachea, the diaphragm and the lungs.
The urinary system helps eliminate a waste product called urea from the body, which is produced
when certain foods are broken down. The whole system includes two kidneys, two ureters, the
bladder, two sphincter muscles and the urethra. Urine produced by the kidneys travels down the
ureters to the bladder, and exits the body through the urethra.
The skin, or integumentary system, is the body's largest organ. It protects us from the outside
world, and is our first defense against bacteria, viruses and other pathogens. Our skin also helps
regulate body temperature and eliminate waste through perspiration. In addition to skin, the
integumentary system includes hair and nails.

Vital organs
Humans have five vital organs that are essential for survival. These are the brain, heart, kidneys,
liver and lungs.

The human brain is the body's control center, receiving and sending signals to other organs
through the nervous system and through secreted hormones. It is responsible for our thoughts,
feelings, memory storage and general perception of the world.
The human heart is a responsible for pumping blood throughout our body.
The job of the kidneys is to remove waste and extra fluid from the blood. The kidneys take urea
out of the blood and combine it with water and other substances to make urine.
The liver has many functions, including detoxifying of harmful chemicals, breakdown of drugs,
filtering of blood, secretion of bile and production of blood-clotting proteins.
The lungs are responsible for removing oxygen from the air we breathe and transferring it to our
blood where it can be sent to our cells. The lungs also remove carbon dioxide, which we exhale.

Fun facts
 The human body contains nearly 100 trillion cells.
 There are at least 10 times as many bacteria in the human body as cells.
 The average adult takes over 20,000 breaths a day.
 Each day, the kidneys process about 200 quarts (50 gallons) of blood to filter out about 2
quarts of waste and water
 Adults excrete about a quarter and a half (1.42 liters) of urine each day.
 The human brain contains about 100 billion nerve cells
 Water makes up more than 50 percent of the average adult's body weight

List of systems of the human body

Clockwise from top left: the integumentaryskeletalnervouscardiovascularendocrine and muscular

systems.

Clockwise from top left: the lymphaticRespiratory systemurinary reproductive (femalemale) and
digestive systems.

The main systems of the human body are:

Circulatory system:

Circulates blood around the body via the heart, arteries and veins, delivering oxygen and nutrients to
organs and cells and carrying their waste products away.

Equalizes temperature in the body.

Digestive system:

Mechanical and chemical processes that provide nutrients via the mouth, esophagus, stomach and
intestines.

Eliminates waste from the body.

Endocrine system:

Provides chemical communications within the body using hormones.

Integumentary system/ Exocrine system:

Skin, hair, nails, sweat and other exocrine glands

Lymphatic system / Immune system:

The system comprising a network of lymphatic vessels that carry a clear fluid called lymph.

Defends the body against pathogenic viruses that may endanger the body.

Muscular system:

Enables the body to move using muscles.

Nervous system:

Collects and processes information from the senses via nerves and the brain and tells the muscles× to
contract to cause physical actions.

Renal system / Urinary system/ Excretory system:

The system where the kidneys filter blood.

Reproductive system:

The sex organs required for the production of offspring.

Respiratory system:

The lungs and the trachea that bring air into and out of the body.

Skeletal system:

Bones supporting the body and its organs.

See also[edit]

List of distinct cell types in the adult human body

List of organs of the human body

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 Part of a series of lists about

Human anatomy

General[show]

Structures[show]

Muscles[show]

Glossary of medicine[show]

See also[show]

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This article contains a list of organs of the human body. It is widely believed that there are 79
organs; however, there is no universally standard definition of what constitution an organ, and some
tissue groups' status as one is debated.[1] Since there is no single standard definition of what an
organ is, the number of organs varies depending on how one defines an organ. For example, this list
contains much more than 79 different organs.

Contents

 1Muscular system
 2Digestive system
 3Respiratory system
 4Urinary system
 5Reproductive organs
o 5.1Male reproductive system
 6Endocrine system
 7Circulatory system
o 7.1Circulatory System
o 7.2Lymphatic system
 8Nervous system
o 8.1Peripheral nervous system
o 8.2Sensory organs
 9Integumentary system
 10See also
 11References

Muscular system[edit]
Main article: Musculoskeletal system
See also: List of bones of the human skeleton and List of muscles of the human body

 Human skeleton
 Joints
 Ligaments
 Muscular system
 Tendons

Digestive system[edit]
Main article: Digestive system

 Mouth
 Teeth
 Tongue
 Salivary glands
 Parotid glands
 Submandibular glands
 Sublingual glands
 Pharynx
 Esophagus
 Stomach
 Small intestine
 Duodenum
 Jejunum
 Ileum
 Large intestine
 Liver
 Gallbladder
 Mesentery
 Pancreas
 Anal canal and anus
 Appendix
Respiratory system[edit]
Main article: Respiratory system

 Nasal cavity
 Pharynx
 Larynx
 Trachea
 Bronchi
 Lungs
 Diaphragm

Urinary system[edit]
Main article: Urinary system

 Kidneys
 Ureters
 Bladder
 Urethra

Reproductive organs[edit]
Female reproductive system

 Internal reproductive organs

 Ovaries
 Fallopian tubes
 Uterus
 Vagina

 External reproductive organs

 Vulva
 Clitoris
 Placenta
Male reproductive system[edit]
Main article: Male reproductive system

 Internal reproductive organs

 Testes
 Epididymis
 Vas deferens
 Seminal vesicles
 Prostate
 Bulbourethral glands
 External reproductive organs
 Penis
 Scrotum
Endocrine system[edit]
Main article: Endocrine system

 Pituitary gland
 Pineal gland
 Thyroid gland
 Parathyroid glands
 Adrenal glands
 Pancreas

Circulatory system[edit]
Circulatory System[edit]
Main article: Circulatory system
See also: List of arteries of the human body and List of veins of the human body

 Heart
 Patent Foramen Ovale
 Arteries
 Veins
 Capillaries
Lymphatic system[edit]
Main article: Lymphatic system

 Lymphatic vessel
 Lymph node
 Bone marrow
 Thymus
 Spleen
 Gut-associated lymphoid tissue
 Tonsils

Nervous system[edit]
 Brain
 Cerebrum
 Cerebral hemispheres
 Diencephalon
 The brainstem
 Midbrain
 Pons
 Medulla oblongata
 Cerebellum
 The spinal cord
 The ventricular system
 Choroid plexus
Peripheral nervous system[edit]
See also: List of nerves of the human body

 Nerves
 Cranial nerves
 Spinal nerves
 Ganglia
 Enteric nervous system
Sensory organs[edit]
Main article: Sensory system

 Eye
 Cornea
 Iris
 Ciliary body
 Lens
 Retina
 Ear
 Outer ear
 Earlobe
 Eardrum
 Middle ear
 Ossicles
 Inner ear
 Cochlea
 Vestibule of the ear
 Semicircular canals
 Olfactory epithelium
 Tongue
 Taste buds

Integumentary system

Chicken anatomy is a huge subject to cover in one article, so we have really pared it down
to the basics for ease of understanding.

References provided will give you greater in depth knowledge if you want to delve further
into chicken anatomy.

The areas we will cover here today are:

o Feathers and skin

o Digestive system
o Bones, legs and wings
o Reproductive system
That should keep us busy for a while!

Understanding the basic anatomy of the chicken will help you to see just how different (and
similar) the chicken is to us humans.

While many of the basic structures are comparable to things we see in humans, such as the
skeleton, there are some notable differences too, such as the ability to fly.

I find this fascinating reading – I hope you do too.

Feathers and Skin

Chicken Feathers
Birds are unique in many ways – one of them being feathered. The feathers serve several
different functions, all of them vital to the birds’ health and well-being.

Without feathers birds cannot fly. Of course, many of our chicken friends do a poor job of
flying anyway but the feathers do provide them with enough lift to fly a short distance out of
harms’ way.

Feathers also provide warmth in the cooler months, cool the birds in warmer months and
provide protection from the elements; camouflage and courtship colors are also the
province of the feathers.

Once they are one year old, chickens molt their feathers once a year – in some species of
bird a complete molt may take much, much longer. The average chicken will complete a
molt in 8-12 weeks. Some birds of prey will start molting in the spring and finish in fall!

The new feather starts growing in the follicle, gradually pushing the old feather out until it
drops, or is ‘molted’.

You will see that your hen now looks a bit like a hedgehog or porcupine with short quills
instead of feathers. These quills are very sensitive to touch because they contain nerve and
blood supply at this time, so try to avoid touching the bird if possible. For a more complete
look at feathers see our article here.

Chicken Flight Feathers

Chicken Skin
Skin covers almost the entire body of the bird and has several vital functions. It acts as a
protective barrier for the bird and acts as an insulating layer in conjunction with the feathers.
It monitors sensory input (heat, cold, pain, pleasure) and special compounds within the skin
convert sunlight to vitamin D.

There are several different types of skin on a chicken. Each type has been modified to
perform certain functions.

Types of skin:

o Feathered Skin: We often say birds are covered in feathers. To our eyes they are,
but feathers grow in distinct ‘pathways’ from the birds’ skin. Feathers erupt from
follicles in the skin pathways.
o Scaled Skin: This covers the legs and feet and is thought to be vestigial from the
dinosaur age. It also provides protection for the legs.
o Beak and Toenails: Made from hardened keratin, each serve a special or particular
function.
o Footpad: This area is the base of the foot and is therefore much tougher, thicker and
flexible than other areas.
o Comb and Wattles: These are secondary sexual appendages initially produced by
the sex hormones when the bird starts to mature.

There is something called an uropygial gland at the base of the tail, it is more commonly
called the preen gland. The bird uses the oily extract from this gland to keep the feathers
oiled and in good condition.

The leg scales help to protect the underlying tissue while the claws (toenails) scratch at the
ground to turn up tasty morsels like seeds and bugs. This scratching helps to keep the nails
short. You may notice in older birds that don’t scratch much, the nails get quite long and will
need to be trimmed occasionally.

The beak is hard and when used as a weapon, can be formidable. If you have ever had a
well aimed peck from a broody hen you will know just how damaging the beak can be!

The beak too, is kept in good shape by probing and wiping the food residue on stones etc.

Chicken Digestive System

The digestive system of the bird has some distinct differences from our human system
although the end product is the same!

Chickens have a beak – no teeth. The beak can peck at and break up larger particles of
food so they are small enough to swallow.

Have you ever wondered why chickens run when they find a mouse or snake? It is thought
that if the object is too large to swallow, the bird runs with the food, others will follow, grab at
the food and tear it apart into bite sized pieces – sorry if you were eating when you read
this.
Once the morsel has been swallowed, it travels into the crop – an expandable storage area,
then the proventriculus where it awaits its turn in the gizzard.

Why do birds have a crop? Chickens are prey creatures, they evolved to be able to ingest a
lot of food at once and be able to store it just in case they needed to fly away from danger.

The stomach is the area where the digestion of the food starts. Enzymes are added to
soften the food prior to the entrance into the gizzard. The gizzard is a very muscular portion
of the digestive tract where the bird stores grit and small stones for grinding its’ food into a
paste.

Once ground, the food paste now moves along the intestines where various proteins and
enzymes dissolve the food removing all the nutrients.

These enzymes are supplied by the gut itself, pancreas and liver in much the same way as
human digestion.

Once past the gizzard the food travels down the small and large intestine and the ceca. The
two cecae are actually blind tubes whose function is re-absorption of water and
fermentation of the coarser matter. This is where the really smelly chicken poop comes
from.

In a young bird the passage of food through the system usually takes around 4 hours, in a
laying hen it is 8 hours and in a broody 12 hours – now you know why broody poop smells
so vile!

Onward to the cloaca or vent, the exit ramp of the intestinal thruway. In the cloaca the
urinary excrement is added to the waste giving bird poop the characteristic white covering of
urate.

Bone, Legs and Wings

Bird bones are composed mainly of calcium and phosphorus and a fine web of collagen
fibers which are bound tightly together. The skeleton provides support and protection, much
as the human skeleton does.

99% of calcium and 80% of phosphorus is stored in the bones. Vitamin D which we
mentioned earlier is vital for the conversion of these minerals to a useable state for the bird.

Deficiency of calcium in the diet will lead to soft or no eggshell, in severe cases laying will
stop.

In caged layers this can be manifested as ‘cage layer fatigue’ leading to osteoporosis and
muscular paralysis. This can be reversed if the bird is placed on the ground and given
dietary calcium. This is usually only seen in high production industrial birds.
The bones of birds can be broadly split into two different types:

o Pneumatic: These bones are hollow and connected to the respiratory system by way
of air sacs. The skull, humerus (arm bone), pelvis and collar bones are examples
o Medullary: These bones store calcium. In the centers of these bones is bone marrow
which makes blood cells. Legs, shoulder blades and ribs are examples of this type.

The neck and backbone of the chicken is very flexible. The spine contains 39 bones with
the neck being quite long. This acts as a shock absorber to the skull and also allows the
bird great range when searching for food – a bird can turn its head 180 degrees!

The sternum is the largest bone in a birds’ body, it covers fully half of the body cavity – the
sternum forms a keel which you can feel when you pick up the bird.

The wings are attached to the sternum by very strong muscles.

Once upon a time, the domestic chicken could fly much better than it currently does. The
ancestors of the modern chickens were much better at short bursts of flight in order to
escape danger.

Mankind has selectively bred chickens for hundreds of years now and through this process
the chickens’ flight ability has diminished tremendously. Although the skeletal structure has
remained the same, the muscles are no longer capable of lifting the bird off the ground as
they once were.

The leg of the chicken is similar to the human anatomy except that the hip bone is fused
with the backbone. This provides a strong and rigid union in conjunction with powerful
muscles.

Reproductive System
Salmon Faverolles Chicks
We have covered much of the hens’ reproductive system before, but we are going to do a
brief review here to refresh memories.

Why do birds lay eggs? Birds are prey – low on the totem pole of life. Having to carry young
in a pregnancy would severely affect their ability to avoid capture or being eaten.

So, they lay eggs instead.

The egg contains all the nutrition a developing chick needs and if necessary the mother can
leave the nest and fly to safety. Eggs are usually laid in a clutch of several eggs – this helps
to ensure continuation of the species, the theory being that some will hatch and survive.

Chicken offspring are precocious – meaning they are well developed at hatching, able to
walk and stand. This also means the mother has to spend less time tending to them.
We already know that a chicken will lay an egg roughly every day, but nothing will come of
the egg unless it is fertilized by the rooster.

You may remember from our previous articles, that a hen is born with a pre-determined
number of eggs and only has one functional ovary. By contrast, the rooster has two fully
functional testes that produce sperm on a continuous basis during his lifetime.

After mating the sperm of the rooster can either be kept in little ‘sperm pockets’ in the hens
oviduct, or if she decides she didn’t like the rooster – she can expel the sperm!

If she decides to keep the sperm, it will stay viable for around 30 days inside the ‘pockets’.

This sperm will then fertilize an egg or eggs. The hen will then lay the fertilized egg and if
she decides to become broody, she will gather several eggs into a nest and sit on them until
they hatch.

Summary
That was a lightening tour of chicken anatomy 101. As we mentioned earlier, a close and in
depth article would run to several articles length and probably bore you to death!

We hope we have distilled enough information for you to find useful and if you remain
curious, check out the links provided.

We will be doing more instalments of chicken anatomy, so keep your eyes open.

Let us know in the comments section below any questions you have