U.X.L Complete Health Resource. Body by Design 2

204 Pages·1999·27.18 MB·English

by  Rob Nagel

BODY BY DESIGN
From the
Digestive
System to
the Skeleton
BODY BY DESIGN
From the
Digestive
System to
the Skeleton
volume
2
nervous system
reproductive system
respiratory system
skeletal system
urinary system
special senses
Rob Nagel • Betz Des Chenes, Editor
Body by Design
From the Digestive System to the Skeleton
Rob Nagel
STAFF
Elizabeth A. Des Chenes, U•X•L Senior Editor
Thomas L. Romig, U•X•L Publisher
Margaret A. Chamberlain, Permissions Specialist (Pictures)
Rita Wimberley, Senior Buyer
Evi Seoud, Assistant Production Manager
Dorothy Maki, Manufacturing Manager
Mary Beth Trimper, Production Director
Michelle Di Mercurio, Senior Art Director
Cynthia Baldwin, Product Design Manager
GGS Information Services, Inc., Typesetting
Cover illustration by Kevin Ewing Illustrations.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data.
Nagel, Rob.
Body by Design: from the digestive system to the skeleton/Rob Nagel.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Contents: v. 1. The cardiovascular system. The digestive system.
The endocrine system. The integumentary system. The lymphatic
system. The muscular system. v.2. The nervous system. The
reproductive system. The respiratory system. The skeletal system.
The urinary system. The special senses.
ISBN 0-7876-3897-8 (set). -ISBN 0-7876-3898-6 (v.1). -ISBN 0-7876-3899-4 (v.2.)
1. Human physiology Juvenile literature. [1. Body. Human. 1.
Human physiology. 3. Human anatomy.] I. Title.
QP36.N33 1999
612-dc21 99-14642
This publication is a creative work fully protected by all applicable copyright laws, as well as by
misappropriation, trade secret, unfair competition, and other applicable laws. The editors of this
work have added value to the underlying factual material herein through one or more of the
following: unique and original selection, coordination, expression, arrangement, and classification
of the information. All rights to this publication will be vigorously defended.
Copyright © 2000 U•X•L, an imprint of the Gale Group
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
Printed in United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To the memory of
Michael D. Merker
(1961–1999)
Contents
Reader’s Guide .................................................................................... ix
Overview: How Systems and Other Structures Form the
Living Body .......................................................................................... xv
Words to Know ................................................................................. xvii
VOLUME 1
The Cardiovascular System ................................................................... 1
The Digestive System ......................................................................... 33
The Endocrine System ....................................................................... 65
The Integumentary System ................................................................. 97
The Lymphatic System .................................................................... 123
The Muscular System ...................................................................... 153
VOLUME 2
The Nervous System ........................................................................ 175
The Reproductive System ................................................................ 207
The Respiratory System ................................................................... 239
The Skeletal System ......................................................................... 263
The Urinary System ......................................................................... 293
The Special Senses ........................................................................... 315
Bibliography .................................................................................... xliii
Index .............................................................................................. xlvii
vii
Reader’s Guide
Body by Design: From the Digestive System to the Skeleton presents the
anatomy (structure) and physiology (function) of the human body in twelve
chapters spread over two volumes. Each chapter is devoted to one of the
eleven organ systems that make up the body. The last chapter focuses on the
special senses, which allow humans to connect with the real world.
Each chapter begins with a paragraph overview of that particular organ
system (or the special senses) and its function or role in the body. The re-
maining information in the chapter is broken into four sections, each labeled
by a particular subhead:
• The material under the subhead Designcomprises the anatomy section of
each chapter. It is a detailed presentation of the organs and any associated
structures that compose that particular organ system or the special senses.
Weight, size, color, position, and composition of the organs and their struc-
tures are given, where applicable, in this section.
• The material under the subhead Workings comprises the physiology sec-
tion of each chapter. It is a step-by-step exploration of the functions of the
organs and any associated structures that compose that particular organ
system or the special senses. The mechanics of muscle contraction, the
transmission of nerve impulses, the actions of swallowing and breathing,
and numerous other physiological processes are all examined in depth in
this section.
• The material under the subhead Ailmentsis a presentation of some of the
many diseases and disorders that can target the organs or associated struc-
tures in that particular organ system or the special senses. Most of the ail-
ments presented are well known, but a few are not. For each ailment, the
number of people generally affected, causes, symptoms, and treatments are
all covered.
ix
• The material under the subhead Taking care is a presentation of ways
an individual can keep a particular system healthy. Because of the con-
Reader’s Guide nectedness of the organ systems, forming the human body as a whole, steps
to keep a system healthy are often steps to keep the body healthy. Many
of these steps are general (some would say common sense) approaches.
Each chapter also contains illustrations or photos (many in color) of the
particular organs and any associated structures. Where applicable, photos de-
picting specific ailments have also been included. Historical discoveries, re-
cent medical advances, short biographies of scientists, and other interesting
facts relating to that particular system are presented in sidebar boxes sprin-
kled throughout each chapter.
A “Words to Know” box included at the beginning of each chapter pro-
vides pronunciations and definitions of words and terms used in that chap-
ter. Another “Words to Know” box later in each chapter is devoted to sys-
tem ailments. At the end of each chapter, under the heading “For More
Information,” appears a list of books and annotated web sites that provide
students with further information about that particular system.
Each volume of Body by Design includes an overview essay, “How Sys-
tems and Other Structures Form the Living Body,” followed by a compre-
hensive glossary collected from all the “Words to Know” boxes in the twelve
chapters.
Each volume ends with a general bibliography section. The offerings in
this section, twenty books and fifteen annotated web sites, are not system
specific, but explore the human body as a whole. A cumulative index pro-
viding access to all major terms and topics covered throughout Body by De-
sign concludes each volume.
Related Reference Sources
Body by Designis only one component of the three-part U•X•L Complete
Health Resource. Other titles in this library include:
• Sick! Diseases and Disorders, Injuries and Infections:This four-volume set con-
tains 140 alphabetically arranged entries on diseases, disorders, and in-
juries, including information on their causes, symptoms, diagnoses, tests
and treatments, and prognoses. Each entry, four to seven pages long, in-
cludes sidebars on related people and topics, as well as a list of sources
for further research. Each volume contains a 16-page color insert. Sickalso
features more than 240 black-and-white photographs and a cumulative
subject index.
• Healthy Living:This three-volume set examines fitness, nutrition, and other
lifestyle issues across fifteen subject chapters. Topics covered include hy-
giene, mental health, preventive care, alternative medicine, and careers in
health care. Sidebar boxes within entries provide information on related
x Body By Design
issues, while over 150 black-and-white illustrations help illuminate the
text. Healthy Living also features a cumulative index.
Reader’s Guide
Acknowledgments
A note of appreciation is extended to the Body by Design advisors, who
provided invaluable suggestions when this work was in its formative stages:
Carole Branson
Seminar Science Teacher
Wilson Middle School
San Diego, California
Bonnie L. Raasch
Media Specialist
Vernon Middle School
Marion, Iowa
Doris J. Ranke
Science Teacher
West Bloomfield High School
West Bloomfield, Michigan
I would like to express my deep appreciation to occupational therapist
Diane Collins for her close reading of the material and her insightful com-
ments and suggestions.
Thanks are also extended to Tom Romig, U•X•L Publisher, for giving
me words of encouragement at a crucial point during the project. Finally,
my debts on this project are great, but none is greater than to my editor,
Elizabeth Des Chenes. Without her unflagging support and guidance, this
work would not have come to fruition. It has been a collaborative effort, and
I proudly share the cover with her.
Comments and Suggestions
We welcome your comments on Body by Design: From the Digestive Sys-
tem to the Skeleton.Please write: Editors, Body by Design,U•X•L, 27500 Drake
Rd., Farmington Hills, Michigan, 48331–3535; call toll free: 1–800–877–
4253; fax: [phone]; or send e-mail via http://www.galegroup.com.
Body By Design xi
Please Read: Important
Information
Body by Design is a medical reference product designed to inform and
educate readers about the human body. U•X•L believes this product to
be comprehensive, but not necessarily definitive. While U•X•L has made
substantial efforts to provide information that is accurate and up to date,
U•X•L makes no representations or warranties of any kind, including with-
out limitation, warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular pur-
pose, nor does it guarantee the accuracy, comprehensiveness, or timeliness
of the information contained in this product.
Readers should be aware that the universe of medical knowledge is con-
stantly growing and changing, and that differences of medical opinion exist
among authorities. They are also advised to seek professional diagnosis and
treatment for any medical condition, and to discuss information obtained
from this book with their health care provider.
xiii
Overview: How Systems
and Other Structures
Form the Living Body
The human body is composed of eleven organ systems. An organ is any
part of the body formed of two or more tissues that performs a specialized
function. Examples of organs are the brain, heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, and
stomach. An organ system is a group of organs whose combined workings
contribute to a particular function for the body as a whole.
All systems have important functions they alone perform. The cardio-
vascular system—composed of the heart, blood, and blood vessels—
transports nutrients, dissolved gases, and hormones to cells throughout the
body. No other system in the body carries out this vital work.
But the cardiovascular system, like all other systems, cannot function
alone. Indeed, to perform its work, it must interact with other systems. The
red blood cells in the blood it transports are formed in the red bone marrow
of certain bones (skeletal system). The nutrients it carries come from the
breakdown of food by the organs of the digestive system. Oxygen and car-
bon dioxide, the dissolved gases that pass between the blood and cells of the
body, are exchanged with the surrounding air through the work of the lungs
and the passageways that carry air to them (respiratory system). Hormones,
chemical messengers that maintain and regulate basic bodily functions, are
produced by the glands of the endocrine system.
Although all organ systems are connected, certain systems combine with
certain others to produce specific actions. The cardiovascular and lymphatic
systems transport fluids through the body and provide defense against dis-
eases and foreign substances. The nervous and endocrine systems regulate
and coordinate the body’s internal operations. The integumentary, muscular,
and skeletal systems provide body support and movement. The digestive, res-
piratory, and urinary systems interact with the outside environment, ex-
changing material.
xv