This section contains information, facts, and worksheets about all aspects of the Human body.
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The human body is truly remarkable and can be thought of as its own kind of universe. Starting from just a single cell, it grows into trillions that form tissues, organs and systems all performing functions that make life possible.
Like the universe, we’re made up of elements, primarily nitrogen, hydrogen, carbon and oxygen, with dashes of phosphorus, potassium, sodium and chloride that are all carefully maintained to stay in balance, or homeostasis.
But what makes the Earth unique is the existence of water. Since we evolved on Earth, we too consist of water. In fact, an average body is about 60% water including cell fluid, blood plasma, digestive fluid and so on.
The cells within our bodies all play various roles, from nerve cells to muscle cells to gastrointestinal and bone cells, they’re all essential to the functioning of the body. But no cell can live forever, and within each cell is the building blocks of life, a manual if you will, called DNA. This allows information to be replicated through cell division so that old cells can be replaced with new ones and the body can grow and live to be many decades old.
Zooming out from the cellular level, we begin to see how cells work together to form tissues and organs. One muscle fibre can’t do much on its own but in bundles they allow the heart to beat and muscles to create movement. A nerve cell is similarly unremarkable on its own, but with its tree-like structure combined with billions of other nerve cells, we have the information processing and sensory highway that is our nervous system and brain.
Unlike plants, that can create their own food and energy from sunlight, the human body requires a lot of energy, which is generated and expended through metabolism. Food enters through the mouth and passes through the lengthy and sophisticated digestive system that is able to break down an apple or slice of pizza into the very basic elements that a body needs to run – glucose, vitamins and minerals and amino acids.
These are absorbed into the blood and pumped around the body in conjunction with oxygen to keep cells alive and functioning. Cell waste, including carbon dioxide, is then sent to highly specialized organs like the lungs, liver and kidneys for expelling.
As you can see, the human body is no simple machine and is a constant source of discovery and challenge to medical professionals. But it’s not just up to doctors and scientists, it’s up to us to treat our bodies with respect and admiration for all the things it can do. We can do this by practicing good hygiene, eating healthily, exercising regularly, drinking plenty of water, managing stress and avoiding harmful habits like smoking and drug abuse.
Learn more about the incredible human body in this section and if there’s a topic we haven’t covered, contact us!
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