- Structure Ofthe Human Body  Miss E. Mac's Class Of
- Structure Ofthe Human Body  Miss E. Mac's Classics
Morphology (a term coined German poet and scientist Goethe in 1817) is not limited to stating the information on the form and structure of the various parts of the body (normal, abnormal, ugly, etc.) obtained at different teaching levels (macroscopic, microscopic, cellular, molecular etc.). It also clarifies the organs evolution and the whole. The torso of the human body also consists of the major muscles of our body; the pectoral muscles, the abdominal muscles, and the lateral muscle. Did You Know ☛ While the size of the human head right from birth won’t change drastically, it is the torso and the lower limbs that grow in length.
Tags: human, body, anatomy All rights to paintings and other images found on PaintingValley.com are owned by their respective owners (authors, artists), and the Administration of the website doesn't bear responsibility for their use. The structure of the human body The human body is composed of a group of systems which are the digestive system, the respiratory system, the urinary system, the circulatory system, the nervous system and the reproductive system.
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
Join Britannica's Publishing Partner Program and our community of experts to gain a global audience for your work!Human body, the physical substance of the human organism, composed of living cells and extracellular materials and organized into tissues, organs, and systems.
Human anatomy and physiology are treated in many different articles. For detailed discussions of specific tissues, organs, and systems, seehuman blood; cardiovascular system; digestive system, human; endocrine system, human; renal system; skin; human muscle system; nervous system; reproductive system, human; respiration, human; sensory reception, human; skeletal system, human. For a description of how the body develops, from conception through old age, seeaging; growth; prenatal development; human development.
For detailed coverage of the body’s biochemical constituents, seeprotein; carbohydrate; lipid; nucleic acid; vitamin; and hormone. For information on the structure and function of the cells that constitute the body, seecell.
Many entries describe the body’s major structures. For example, seeabdominal cavity; adrenal gland; aorta; bone; brain; ear; eye; heart; kidney; large intestine; lung; nose; ovary; pancreas; pituitary gland; small intestine; spinal cord; spleen; stomach; testis; thymus; thyroid gland; tooth; uterus; vertebral column.
Humans are, of course, animals—more particularly, members of the order Primates in the subphylum Vertebrata of the phylum Chordata. Like all chordates, the human animal has a bilaterally symmetrical body that is characterized at some point during its development by a dorsal supporting rod (the notochord), gill slits in the region of the pharynx, and a hollow dorsal nerve cord. Of these features, the first two are present only during the embryonic stage in the human; the notochord is replaced by the vertebral column, and the pharyngeal gill slits are lost completely. The dorsal nerve cord is the spinal cord in humans; it remains throughout life.
Characteristic of the vertebrate form, the human body has an internal skeleton that includes a backbone of vertebrae. Typical of mammalian structure, the human body shows such characteristics as hair, mammary glands, and highly developed sense organs.
Beyond these similarities, however, lie some profound differences. Among the mammals, only humans have a predominantly two-legged (bipedal) posture, a fact that has greatly modified the general mammalian body plan. (Even the kangaroo, which hops on two legs when moving rapidly, walks on four legs and uses its tail as a “third leg” when standing.) Moreover, the human brain, particularly the neocortex, is far and away the most highly developed in the animal kingdom. As intelligent as are many other mammals—such as chimpanzees and dolphins—none have achieved the intellectual status of the human species.
Chemical composition of the body
Chemically, the human body consists mainly of water and of organic compounds—i.e., lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids. Water is found in the extracellular fluids of the body (the blood plasma, the lymph, and the interstitial fluid) and within the cells themselves. It serves as a solvent without which the chemistry of life could not take place. The human body is about 60 percent water by weight.
Lipids—chiefly fats, phospholipids, and steroids—are major structural components of the human body. Fats provide an energy reserve for the body, and fat pads also serve as insulation and shock absorbers. Phospholipids and the steroid compoundcholesterol are major components of the membrane that surrounds each cell.
Proteins also serve as a major structural component of the body. Like lipids, proteins are an important constituent of the cell membrane. In addition, such extracellular materials as hair and nails are composed of protein. So also is collagen, the fibrous, elastic material that makes up much of the body’s skin, bones, tendons, and ligaments. Proteins also perform numerous functional roles in the body. Particularly important are cellular proteins called enzymes, which catalyze the chemical reactions necessary for life.
Carbohydrates are present in the human body largely as fuels, either as simple sugars circulating through the bloodstream or as glycogen, a storage compound found in the liver and the muscles. Small amounts of carbohydrates also occur in cell membranes, but, in contrast to plants and many invertebrate animals, humans have little structural carbohydrate in their bodies.
Nucleic acids make up the genetic materials of the body. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) carries the body’s hereditary master code, the instructions according to which each cell operates. It is DNA, passed from parents to offspring, that dictates the inherited characteristics of each individual human. Ribonucleic acid (RNA), of which there are several types, helps carry out the instructions encoded in the DNA.
Along with water and organic compounds, the body’s constituents include various inorganic minerals. Chief among these are calcium, phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, and iron. Calcium and phosphorus, combined as calcium-phosphate crystals, form a large part of the body’s bones. Calcium is also present as ions in the blood and interstitial fluid, as is sodium. Ions of phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium, on the other hand, are abundant within the intercellular fluid. All of these ions play vital roles in the body’s metabolic processes. Iron is present mainly as part of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying pigment of the red blood cells. Other mineral constituents of the body, found in minute but necessary concentrations, include cobalt, copper, iodine, manganese, and zinc.
Organization of the body
The cell is the basic living unit of the human body—indeed, of all organisms. The human body consists of trillions of cells, each capable of growth, metabolism, response to stimuli, and, with some exceptions, reproduction. Although there are some 200 different types of cells in the body, these can be grouped into four basic classes. These four basic cell types, together with their extracellular materials, form the fundamental tissues of the human body: (1) epithelial tissues, which cover the body’s surface and line the internal organs, body cavities, and passageways; (2) muscle tissues, which are capable of contraction and form the body’s musculature; (3) nerve tissues, which conduct electrical impulses and make up the nervous system; and (4) connective tissues, which are composed of widely spaced cells and large amounts of intercellular matrix and which bind together various body structures. (Bone and blood are considered specialized connective tissues, in which the intercellular matrix is, respectively, hard and liquid.)
The next level of organization in the body is that of the organ. An organ is a group of tissues that constitutes a distinct structural and functional unit. Thus, the heart is an organ composed of all four tissues, whose function is to pump blood throughout the body. Of course, the heart does not function in isolation; it is part of a system composed of blood and blood vessels as well. The highest level of body organization, then, is that of the organ system.
The body includes nine major organ systems, each composed of various organs and tissues that work together as a functional unit. The chief constituents and prime functions of each system are summarized below. (1) The integumentary system, composed of the skin and associated structures, protects the body from invasion by harmful microorganisms and chemicals; it also prevents water loss from the body. (2) The musculoskeletal system (also referred to separately as the muscle system and the skeletal system), composed of the skeletal muscles and bones (with about 206 of the latter in adults), moves the body and protectively houses its internal organs. (3) The respiratory system, composed of the breathing passages, lungs, and muscles of respiration, obtains from the air the oxygen necessary for cellular metabolism; it also returns to the air the carbon dioxide that forms as a waste product of such metabolism. (4) The circulatory system, composed of the heart, blood, and blood vessels, circulates a transport fluid throughout the body, providing the cells with a steady supply of oxygen and nutrients and carrying away waste products such as carbon dioxide and toxic nitrogen compounds. (5) The digestive system, composed of the mouth, esophagus, stomach, and intestines, breaks down food into usable substances (nutrients), which are then absorbed from the blood or lymph; this system also eliminates the unusable or excess portion of the food as fecal matter. (6) The excretory system, composed of the kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra, removes toxic nitrogen compounds and other wastes from the blood. (7) The nervous system, composed of the sensory organs, brain, spinal cord, and nerves, transmits, integrates, and analyzes sensory information and carries impulses to effect the appropriate muscular or glandular responses. (8) The endocrine system, composed of the hormone-secreting glands and tissues, provides a chemical communications network for coordinating various body processes. (9) The reproductive system, composed of the male or female sex organs, enables reproduction and thereby ensures the continuation of the species.
- key people
- related topics
- The human femur can support a weight thirty times that of the human body, making it even stronger than steel.
- The evolution of the human eyebrows is believed to have prevented the influx of sweat into the eyes.
- Chronic stress produces high levels of cortisol, which may cause damage to the hippocampus in the brain, leading to memory loss.
- An increase in the volume of background noise has been correlated with the perception of food as less sweet or less salty.
- The human nervous system can relay electrochemical messages at a rate of 249 mph (400 km/hr).
Navigation
- Click+drag with the mouse to rotate, scroll to zoom.
- Or use the buttons in the upper left. The Home button resets the view.
- Change from Capsule to Orbit mode in the upper right to enable full 3d
- rotation and hold Ctrl down to pan the view. (Premium users only)
- Use the opacity slider on the left to reveal layers.
- Click on the toggle below the slider to control layers individually.
- Use the searchbox at the upper right to search, or click on entities to select them.
- Click on the background or on the X to undo selection.
- Ctrl+click on entities to quickly hide entities. (Cmd+click on mac.)
- Shift+click on entities or labels (or click on the 'pin' icon in a label) to pin an entity. This will keep it selected while you select more.
- Use the visibility icon on an entities name to hide an item. Unlike Ctrl+clicking an entity the visibility tool will leave hide the items until 'Unhide All' is clicked on the upper right.
- Use the 'Zoom to' tool on the items name to center the view on the item.
- Use the down arrow on the items name to reveal information about the item.
- Use the 'Pin' tool on the items name to pin an item allowing you to select multiple items.
Structure Ofthe Human Body  Miss E. Mac's Class Of
- Use the model select icon above the anatomy slider on the left to load different models.
- My Scenes allows you to load and save scenes you have created. All annotations, pins and visible items will be saved.
- Zygote Scenes is a collection of scenes created by Zygote Media Group with annotations identifying anatomical landmarks.
- Hierarchy is a list of all the entities you have in your current scene. You can turn parts on and off using the check marks by each object or group of objects.
- Annotations allows you to create your own notes and markers that will be saves when you save your scene.
- Tools:
- Pick returns you to the default mode of picking parts and rotating your camera.
- Slice allows you to slice the parts in your scene in either an X, Y or Z plane.
- Explode moves all the parts in your scene away form a central point that you can interactively position.
- Quiz when enabled when you pick a part rather than displaying the part's name a multiple choice menu will appear allowing you to quiz yourself.
Structure Ofthe Human Body  Miss E. Mac's Classics
- The snapshot icon at the top center will take a snapshot of your scene that can then be saved as a jpg or drawn on with the included pen tools.