genbio2

integumentary system

Primary Function: Protection and Temperature Regulation.

Role: Acts as the body’s first line of defense against infection, prevents dehydration, and helps regulate body temperature through sweating and blood flow.

skeletal system

Primary Function: Support, Protection, and Mineral Storage.

Role: Provides a structural framework, protects vital organs (like the brain and heart), stores minerals like calcium, and is the site for blood cell production (bone marrow).

muscular system

Primary Function: Movement and Heat Production.

Role: Skeletal muscles allow for voluntary movement; cardiac muscles pump blood; smooth muscles move substances through organs (like food through the gut). Muscle activity also generates body heat.

nervous system

Primary Function: Control, Coordination, and Communication.

Role: Processes sensory information from the environment and sends electrical signals to tell the body how to react. It controls both voluntary actions (walking) and involuntary ones (breathing).

endocrine system

Primary Function: Hormonal Regulation.

Role: Secretes hormones into the blood to regulate long-term processes like growth, metabolism, and reproduction.

circulatory system

Primary Function: Transportation of Nutrients and Gases.

Role: Pumps oxygen, nutrients, and hormones to cells while carrying away waste products like carbon dioxide to be excreted.

lymphatic system

Primary Function: Defense and Fluid Balance.

Role: Returns leaked fluids to the blood and houses white blood cells (leukocytes) that fight off pathogens and infections.

respiratory system

Primary Function: Gas Exchange.

Role: Brings oxygen into the body and removes carbon dioxide waste through the process of breathing.

digestive system

Primary Function: Nutrient Absorption and Waste Elimination.

Role: Breaks down food into molecules small enough for the body to absorb and use forenergy, while eliminating solid waste.

urinary system

Primary Function: Waste Filtration and Fluid Balance.

Role: Filters toxins and nitrogenous wastes from the blood and excretes them as urine. It also regulates blood pressure and electrolyte balance.

reproductive system

Primary Function: Procreation and Hormone Production.

Role: Produces gametes (sperm and eggs) and sex hormones to ensure the continuation of the species.

control and communication group

These systems act as the "management" of the body, sending instructions and maintaining balance.

central nervous system

The brain and spinal cord act as the processing center.

peripheral nervous system

The "wires" that carry messages to the limbs and organs.

neuron

The basic unit of communication. It uses electrical impulses to send signals in milliseconds.

homeostasis

It monitors internal conditions (like blood oxygen levels) and triggers immediate responses.

hormonal control

Unlike the nervous system’s electrical signals, the endocrine system uses chemical messengers (hormones).

metabolic influence

It controls how fast you burn calories, how you grow, and how you react to stress (the "fight or flight" response via adrenaline).

The cranium protects the brain; the thoracic cage protects the heart and lungs.

hematopoiesis

Red bone marrow is where all your red and white blood cells are born.

mineral reservoir

It acts as a "bank" for calcium and phosphorus. If blood levels are low, the body "withdraws" minerals from the bones.

contractility

Muscles only work by contracting (pulling), never pushing.

smooth tissue

Non-striated and involuntary (in the walls of the stomach and bladder).

cardiac tissue

Found only in the heart; it never gets tired.

pulmonary circuit

Picks up oxygen from the lungs.

pulmonary circuit

Delivers that oxygen to the rest of the body

blood composition

Plasma (fluid), Red Blood Cells (oxygen carriers), White Blood Cells (defenders), and Platelets (clotters).

immunity

Lymph nodes act as "checkpoints" that filter out bacteria and viruses.

fluid recovery

It picks up extra fluid that leaks out of blood vessels and returns it to the bloodstream to prevent swelling (edema).

alveoli

Tiny air sacs where oxygen enters the blood and carbon dioxide leaves it

diaphragm

A muscle that creates a vacuum to pull air into the lungs.

absorption

Most nutrient absorption happens in the small intestine, which is lined with "villi" to increase surface area.

nephron

The functional unit of the kidney. It filters the entire volume of your blood many times a day.

blood pressure control

The kidneys help regulate blood pressure by managing how much water is kept or expelled.

vitamin D synthesis

The skin uses sunlight to produce Vitamin D, essential for bone health.

genetic transfer

This is the only system not essential for the survival of the individual, but essential for the survival of the species.