Organ Systems Notes

  1. Nervous System
  • Made up of two main systems:

1. _central ___ - brain and spinal cord

2. _peripheral______- nerves extending from the spinal cord to the rest of the best

  • Nerve cells are called _neurons______.

Draw a picture of a nerve cell and label A) Dendrite, B) Cell Body, and C) Axon:

  • Explain the process by which a nerve signal travels from one neuron to the next:

Nerve signals have both an electrical and chemical component. Nerve signals are sent through the following procedure:
1) An electrical impulse called an__Action Potential______travels down the axon.
2) The Action Potential cannot cross the __Synapse (gap)______between the 2 neurons; therefore, vesicles containing a ___chemical messenger called a neurotransmitter___ fuse with the axon membrane.
3) These vesicles containing the neurotransmitter are released into the _synapse____ in order transmit the information from one neuron to the next.
4) __Dendrites______receive these neurotransmitters and each dendrite relays this information to the _Cell Body______.
5) The cell body translates this chemical information into an electrical __Action Potential______which is sent down the axon.
6) This process repeats itself as a nerve signal is sent to and from the brain and various locations in the body.

Draw two nerve cells here and diagram the relaying of a signal between the two by a) labeling the direction of an action potential and where it flows, b) the synapse, c) where neurotransmitters would be

Lobes of the brain:

  • There are _4____ lobes in the brain.

Below you will identify each lobe and tell the function / location of each:

1)_Frontal______-

Location – Forehead

Function – The “human part of the brain”; Responsible for higher order thinking, creativity, personality, etc.

2)__Parietal______-

Location – Back, top of the head

Function –deciphering information from the senses

3)_Temporal ______-

Location – Side of head (temple)

Function - Hearing

4)_Occipital______-

Location – Back, bottom of the head

Function – Sight

  1. Immune

Function – Fight off infection

Major organs –White blood cells, lymphatic system

  1. Reproductive

Function – Create offspring

Major Organs–Testicles, Ovaries, etc.

_Gametes______- Sex cells that are __haploid______(meaning they have only 1 set of chromosomes)

__Somatic______- Body cells that are _diploid______( meaning that they have 2 sets of each chromosome / homologous chromosomes)

  1. Circulatory

Functions – distribute nutrients / oxygen throughout the body

2 types of circulation –

1)__pulmonary______- Blood flowing between the heart and lungs

2)___systemic______- blood flowing between the heart and the rest of the body

3 types of blood vessels:

1)__artery______- carry blow AWAY from the heart

2)___vein______- carry blood TOWARD the heart

3)___capillary______- in between arteries and veins; very thin so oxygen and nutrients can cross the vessel walls to be dropped off throughout the body

Chambers of the Heart:

__atria______- receive blood

__ventricles______- pump blood

The __left______side has blood that contains oxygen

The _____right______side has blood that has NO oxygen

Path of blood through the body:

1)Blood that is used throughout the body comes back to the __right atria______through the _superior vena cavae______and _inferior vena cavae______.

2)Blood then goes to the __right ventricle______where it is pumped through the __pulmonary artery______to the _lungs______to pick up oxygen.

3)The blood then comes___back__to the ___left atria______through the ____pulmonary vein______.

4)Blood then comes to the __left ventricle______where it is pumped to the rest of the body through the ____aorta______.

  1. Respiratory

Functions – supply the body with Oxygen and release carbon dioxide

Major Organs – Lungs, Bronchial tubes, alveoli

  1. Endocrine

Functions – Produce hormones (that direct the other systems)

Major Organs –hypothalamus, thyroid, pancreas (creates insulin and glucagon), and any “gland” word

  1. Digestive

Functions – supply body with fuel to create ATP

Flow of food through digestive system:

  1. Food is chewed in the _mouth___ where it is both ____chemically______and __mechanically______digested.
  2. It then travels through the __esophagus______to the _stomach______where it is __broken down______.
  3. _Bile______made by the ___liver______is added to the food to help break down ___fats______.
  4. The __gall bladder______stores excess bile made by the liver.
  5. The food leaves the stomach and travels through the __small intestine_____ where ___nutrients are reabsorbed into the bloodstream______.
  6. The food then passes through the _large intestine______where ____water is reabsorbed into the bloodstream______.
  7. The food then exits the body through the _____rectum______.
  1. Urinary

Functions – maintain fluid balance, pH, and to remove waste

Major organs –kidneys, ureter, urethra, urinary bladder

  1. Skeletal

Functions – provide stability for body, posture, and protect inner organs

Bones are held to other bones by ___ligaments______.

  1. Muscle

Functions – allow for movement

Muscles are held to bones by ___tendons______.

The three types of muscle tissues are:

  1. ___smooth______
  2. ___skeletal______
  3. ___cardiac______

Types of tissues

  1. Epithelial – Covers body surfaces (your skin and the skin of your organs)
  2. Connective tissue

a) Loose Connective – Holds together tissues and organs

b)Fibrous Connective – Tendons (holds bone to muscle) and Ligaments (Bone to Bone)

c)Adipose – Fats cells

d)Cartilage – In between bones to cushion them and keep them from rubbing against each other

e)Bone –

f)Blood – Connects whole body by transporting nutrients and oxygen throughout

  1. Muscle
  1. Skeletal muscle – striped muscle that is connected to bone (by tendons); responsible for VOLUNTARY movement
  2. Cardiac muscle – striped like skeletal but it is also branched; muscle in your heart
  3. Smooth muscle – it IS NOT striped (it looks smooth); located in your organs; responsible for INVOLUNTARY movement

  1. Nervous tissue – Brain and nerve tissue; responsible for regulating everything else in the body

3 main parts of a neuron:

  1. Dendrites – At the start of the cell; receive information (neurotransmitters) from previous neuron
  2. Cell body – contains the nucleus; adds together all the information gathered by the dendrites and sends a signal down the neuron
  3. Axon – section of the neuron where the Action potential (nerve signal) travels down to send the signal to the next neuron