The 78 Organs of The Human Body

Anus

a muscular opening at the end of the rectum eliminates from the body

Arteries

blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart

Appendix

a small, fingerlike extension of the cecum that contains a mass of white blood cells that contribute to immunity

Adrenal Glands

a pair of endocrine glands that above the kidneys that secrete hormones that help arouse the body in times of stress

Brain

the mass of nerve tissue that is the main control center of the nervous system

Bones

part of the skeletal system

Bronchi

two short branches located at the lower end of the trachea that carry air into the lungs

Bladder

elastic, hollow, muscular organ that provides temporary storage for urine

Bone Marrow

a soft tissue inside the bone that produces blood cells

Bulbourethral Glands

the two glands below the prostate (in males) that secrete a sticky fluid that becomes a component of semen - also called Cowper Glands

Colon

the longest portion of the large intestine

Cervix

the opening to the uterus

Clitoris

organ of sensitive erectile tissue anterior to the opening of the female urethra

Capillaries

fine, branching blood vessels that form a network between the arterioles and venules

Cerebellum

a large structure of the hindbrain that controls fine motor skills - "Little Brain"

Diaphragm

a dome-shaped, muscular partition separating the thorax from the abdomen that contracts to increase the volume of the thorax to inflate the lungs

Ears

the organs of hearing and balance that detect sound

Eyes

the organs that control vision and allow you to see

Esophagus

a muscular tube that connects the mouth to the stomach

Fallopian Tubes

tubes which carry eggs from the ovaries to the uterus and are also the place where fertilization occurs

Genitals

external reproductive organs

Gallbladder

a muscular sac attached to the liver that secretes bile and stores it until needed for digestion

Heart

a hollow, muscular organ that pumps blood throughout the body

Hair Follicle

the tube-like depression or pocket in the skin or scalp that contains the hair root

Hypothalamus

a neural structure lying below the thalamus; directs eating, drinking, body temperature; helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion

Interstitium

space that exists between structural barriers and contains interstitial fluid

Kidneys

Filter blood from the renal arteries and produce urine as waste

Joints

Areas where two or more bones join together

Liver

A large solid organ that lies in the right upper quadrant immediately below the diaphragm; it produces bile, stores glucose for immediate use by the body, and produces many substances that help regulate immune responses.

Lungs

two spongy organs, located in the thoracic cavity enclosed by the diaphragm and rib cage, responsible for respiration

Larynx

the hollow muscular organ forming an air passage to the lungs and holding the vocal cords in humans and other mammals; the voice box.

Ligaments

bands of tough elastic tissue that connect bone to bone

Lymph Nodes

Bean-shaped filters that cluster along the lymphatic vessels of the body. They function as a cleanser of lymph as wells as a site of T and B cell activation

Large Intestines

organ where water is absorbed from the food and taken into the blood stream. prepares undigested food for elimination from body

Lymphatic Vessels

large vessels with valves, which collect and carry lymph to lymph nodes

Mouth

where digestion begins

Mesentery

a fold of the peritoneum that attaches the stomach, small intestine, pancreas, spleen, and other organs to the posterior wall of the abdomen.

Mammary Glands

Specialized organs in mammals that produce milk to nourish the young

Nose

the prominent structure between the eyes that serves as the entrance to the respiratory tract and contains the olfactory organ

Nails

plates made from flattened epithelial cells; found on the dorsal surface of the ends of the fingers and toes

Nerves

Bundles of neuron fibers (axons) that are routed together in the peripheral nervous system.

Nasal Cavity

located within and posterior to the nose

Ovaries

Glands that produce the egg cells and hormones

Penis

A tube-shaped organ that extends from the trunk of the body just above the testes

Pancreas

An organs in the abdominal cavity with two roles. The first is an exocrine role: to produce digestive enzymes and bicarbonate, which are delivered to the small intestine via the pancreatic duct. The second is an endocrine role: to secrete insulin and glucagon into the bloodstream to help regulate blood glucose levels.

Pharynx

the membrane-lined cavity behind the nose and mouth, connecting them to the esophagus.

Placenta

a flattened circular organ in the uterus of pregnant eutherian mammals, nourishing and maintaining the fetus through the umbilical cord.

Prostate Gland

a gland surrounding the neck of the bladder in male mammals and releasing prostatic fluid.

Pineal Gland

a pea-sized conical mass of tissue behind the third ventricle of the brain that secretes melantonin

Pituitary Gland

The endocrine system's most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands.

Parathyroid Glands

small pea-like organs that regulate calcium and phosphate balance in blood, bones, and other tissues

Rectum

A short tube at the end of the large intestine where waste material is compressed into a solid form before being eliminated

Skin

The largest organ in the body.

Spleen

An organ that is part of the lymphatic system; it produces lymphocytes, filters the blood, stores blood cells, and destroys old blood cells.

Scrotum

External sac that contains the testes

Stomach

A muscular and elastic sac that serves mainly to store food, break it up mechanically, and begin chemical digestion of proteins and fat.

Spinal Cord

Nerves that run up and down the length of the back and transmit most messages between the body and brain

Small Intestine

Digestive organ where most chemical digestion and absorption of food takes place

Salivary Glands

Glands of the mouth that produce saliva, a digestive secretion

Skeletal Muscles

attached to the bones of the skeleton and make body motions possible

Seminal Vessels

two sac-like structures close to the prostate that produce the majority of the seminal fluid

Subcutaneous Tissue

Tissue, largely fat, that lies directly under the dermis and serves as an insulator of the body.

Teeth

hard bony projections in the jaws for masticating (chewing) food

Tonsils

form a protective circle of lymphatic tissue around the entrance to the respiratory system

Testes

produce sperm

Tendons

Connect muscle to bone

Tongue

a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity

Thyroid

regulates metabolism

Trachea

a large membranous tube reinforced by rings of cartilage, extending from the larynx to the bronchial tubes and conveying air to and from the lungs; the windpipe.

Thymus Gland

lymphoid organ in the mediastinum that conditions T cells to react to foreign cells and aids in the immune response

Ureters

The tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder.

Urethra

tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body

Uterus

A hollow muscular organ in the pelvic cavity of the female, in which the embryo is nourished and develops before birth

Vulva

external female genitalia; includes the labia, hymen, clitoris, and vaginal orifice

Veins

Blood vessels that carry blood back to the heart

Vagina

A muscular, elastic passageway that extends from the uterus to the outside of the body

Vas Deferens

Long, narrow tube carrying sperm from epididymis to ejaculatory duct

Vestigial Organ

an organ that is not functional in an organism, but was functional at some period in its evolution