Chapter 12 – The health of the body depends on the health of its interdependent systems. p.434

  1. Cells and the organisms that they make up have the same basic needs. These include:

Cells require nutrients and oxygen and produce wastes which must be removed.

If cells die because they cannot get sufficient nutrient and oxygen, or because they cannot get rid of wastes, the tissues they make up will be damaged and may also die. Eventually the entire organism could die because of negative effects to the cells.

Tissues and organ systems provide the mechanisms by which nutrients are obtainedand wastes are removed. The energy for cellular activity originates in the food eaten and digested by the human organism. Cellular processes create waste material that must be removed by the organism.

2. Briefly outline how the systems below depend on one another.

Systems / Connection
Circulatory and Respiratory / The blood transports oxygen and carbon dioxide from the lungs throughout the body.
Circulatory and Digestive / Digestion breaks down food into nutrients and the circulatory system transports nutrients throughout the body
Nervous and Muscular / These can keep your temperature stable. The nervous system stimulates the muscle to contract when the temp. is low. This shivering causes the body to begin warming up.

More extensive explanations

Circulatory/Respiratory:

We take in oxygen-rich air throughour nose, windpipe, and into our lungs (i.e., through therespiratory system). The inner surface of our lungs contain bloodvessels. Oxygen from the air we breathe in is transferred to the blood and is transported throughout the body, by the circulatorysystem, to the cells that need the oxygen. As the blood passes by the cells, it delivers the oxygen and picks up carbon dioxide

(a waste product). The carbon dioxide is then transported to the lungs. At the lungs, the carbon dioxide is transferred from the blood vessels into the air that we breathe out (exhale).

Digestive/Circulatory:

When we chew and swallow food, itpasses to the stomach and then to the small intestine where it is digested. The walls of the small intestine contain many blood vessels. When it is digested, the food is broken down into very small particles called nutrients. These nutrients (molecules) pass through the intestine lining into the blood. Once in the blood, these nutrients are transported to the body cells, where it is used to provide the cell with the materials and energy to carry out its life processes.

Nervous/Muscular:

Our nervous system picks up signals (stimuli) from both outside and inside our bodies. Depending on the type of signal, our nervous system may cause our bodies to react in a particular way. Often, the reaction or change that occurs, involves the muscular system. For example, when it is cold, our nervous system causes our muscles to contract andrelax rapidly. We experience this as shivering. When it is too

hot, the nervous system causes the muscles around the blood vessels in our skin to relax, bringing the warm blood closer to the surface where it can be cooled by the air (e.g., the skin is flushed)

Careers associated with the health of Body systems include lab and x-ray technicians, physiotherapists, nutritionists, coaches, doctors, and public health nurses.

Think about the following situations and write a comment on what you think

Imagine life without sports and fitness equipment.

What body systems would be affected?

Muscular- muscles would not be as developed even deteriorate in some cases

Respiratory – not running as much so lungs will not be as strong

Circulatory – heart would not be as strong to pump blood

What would be the consequences?

Health of the individual would deteriorate.

For each system see if you can come up with an idea that you can do to keep that system healthy Try not to use the same one twice

System / One thing that can keep this system healthy
Digestive / Make healthy food choices
Excretory / Drink water
Muscular / Exercise regularly
Circulatory / Eat proper diet, low in fat,
Respiratory / Avoid inhaling anything other than air or oxygen ie. Cigarette smoke
Nervous / Learn coping skills to stress

After you have these finished discuss lifestyle choices. Include diet choices, smoking, drinking alcohol, or not exercising and what affect these can have on your body.

Some technologies have been designed to assist damaged organs and/or systems.

For examples the insulin pump that regulates insulin levels in the blood and artificial hearts that pump blood throughout the body. See STSE activity

.

What are some other examples of technology that assist damaged organs or systems?

Cochlear implants, artificial limbs controlled by electrical impulses from nerves,

artificial heart valves, respirators, dialysis machine, and pace makers are other examples of technology