Interdependence: how the systems of the human body perfectly exemplify it
Interdependence means being dependent on each other. In effect, the human body consists of a series of interacting “systems,” which are the skeletal, muscular, nervous, endocrine, circulatory, cardiovascular, respiratory, lymphatic, digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems. Within these systems are also organs that work in unison.
Skeleton
The body depends on the rigid structure of the skeleton for support and the internal organs rely on it for protection, while the muscles use the skeleton for anchorage.
muscles
There are three types of muscle movements: skeletal, smooth, and cardiac.
Skeletal movement, initiated by the nervous system, is ensured by the muscles attached to the skeleton. The digestive system, bladder, and blood vessels depend on smooth muscle, and the heart is powered by cardiac muscle.
The nervious system
The brain and spinal cord that make up the central nervous system (CNS) rely on the sense organs (eyes, nose, and ears) to send them signals that integrate.
Endocrine and circulatory systems.
The endocrine system made up of glands (hypothalamus, pituitary, and thyroid), pancreas, kidney, ovaries (females only), testicles (males only), adrenal, parathyroid, pineal, and brain secrete hormones directly into the circulatory system to be transported in the bloodstream. to the appropriate tissues.
Cardiovascular system
The heart has arteries through which it pumps blood from the blood vessels. The lungs supply oxygen from the blood and intestinal nutrients that the blood carries to all cells in the body.
The cardiovascular system also depends on blood to remove waste products from cells; then the tissues and kidneys excrete them as urine and the lungs as carbon dioxide. The heart bets on the veins to bring deoxygenated blood. (It’s interesting to note that the entire circuit takes only about a minute.)
Respiratory system
Human breathing becomes a reflex muscle that causes the diaphragm and internal intercostal muscles to contract. As the volume in the chest cavity increases, the air pressure inside it decreases. Air then rushes in through the nose, down the trachea, and into the lungs, causing the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide to occur.
lymphatic and circulatory systems
Lymphatic vessels, lymph nodes, and their lymphoid organs (the spleen and tonsils) remove excess fluid from the body’s tissues and return it to the circulatory system. (Note that this helps fight infection.)
digestive and urinary systems
The mouth is the beginning of the digestive tract. As you go down, you will find the salivary glands, epiglottis, esophagus, liver, stomach, gallbladder, pancreas, small intestine, large intestine, appendix, rectum, and anus.
In the mouth are the teeth that are responsible for biting and chewing and the tongue that shapes food into an easily swallowed bolus.
The trachea relies on the epiglottis, a flap of cartilage at the root of the tongue, to collapse during swallowing and cover it.
Apart from the mouth, the digestive tract includes the esophagus (which connects the throat to the stomach), the stomach, the small and large intestines (the lower parts of the digestive tract from the end of the stomach to the anus), the rectum (the last excretory orifice at the end of the digestive tract).
Through a system of tubes, the digestive tract is connected to the salivary glands (which secrete fluid into the mouth to ensure lubrication, aid in chewing and swallowing, and facilitate digestion), the gallbladder (which stores bile after that the liver secretes it). and before it is released in the intestine) and the pancreas (which provides bile and enzymes to aid digestion), and the liver, which helps metabolize food products into a form that can be stored, for example, as fat and proteins. In the large intestine, undigested food solidifies into feces that is excreted through the anus.
Urinary system
The kidneys filter the blood to form urine through which waste products will be excreted. The ureters carry urine to the bladder, which stores it for discharge. For this to happen, the bladder contracts, the outlets of the bladder and urethra (sphincters) relax, and urine is expelled. (Keep in mind that a woman’s bladder is smaller and lower in the pelvis than a man’s, and her urethra is about one-fifth the length of a man’s.
Reproductive system
The reproductive organs produce sex cells (eggs in the female’s ovaries, sperm in the male’s testicles), which ensure the fertilization of an egg through sexual intercourse. Then the uterus (womb) receives the egg. (This provides a safe environment for the developing fetus during the 9 month gestation period.)
lesson for humanity
We discovered that while each of the body’s systems and various organs have specific roles to play in the body, they do not function in isolation. When a system or organ finishes its work, it depends on the others to pick up where it left off. This also depends on others carrying out the work. This interdependence helps the body to work in perfect harmony and ensures its survival.
Is there a lesson here for families, individuals, communities, nations and continents to learn to cooperate with each other for the good of the world? Your answer is as good as mine.