Major Body System Report. The trunk of the human body is divided into three cavities; the thorax, abdomen and the pelvis.

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Anatomy and Physiology for Health and Social Care.
Outcome 1 – Unit 5.

Task 3 – Major Body System Report.

Major Body System Report.

The trunk of the human body is divided into three cavities; the thorax, abdomen and the pelvis.

A fibro-muscular layer, the diaphragm, separates the thorax (upper chest) from the abdomen. The pelvis lies beneath the abdomen but there is no physical separation. The oesophagus, aorta and vena cava penetrate through the diaphragm.

The following systems are major systems within the body.

The Renal System.

The Renal system is made up of kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra, all of which are involved in the formation and release of urine.

The human body has two kidneys which are organs shaped like a bean; they produce urine to get rid of the body’s unwanted waste. The Ureters transport the urine to the bladder; these are two tubes that emerge from the kidneys to the bladder. The Bladder stores the urine until it is excreted via the urethra. The sphincter muscle controls the release and pressure of urine.

A secondary function of the kidneys is contributing to the control of blood pressure and production of red blood cells. Blood is supplied to the kidneys via the renal arteries which are smaller vessels that lead off from a much larger vessel, the aorta. The renal veins take blood away from the kidneys and back to the vena cava.

The kidneys

The amount of water within a human body is regulated by the kidneys. The more water we drink the more urine is produced, although when we are dehydrated we produce less water so the quantity of urine is less than average.

The Kidneys also produce Renin and Erythropoietin. Renin is a hormone which is important in regulating blood pressure, and erythropoietin helps to produce red blood cells.

The bladder

The main function of the bladder is to store urine and release the urine when the nervous system transmits impulses to the sphincter muscle which controls the release of urine.

The Urethra

The function of the urethra is to act as a passageway from the bladder to the outside of the body. The urine travels along the urethra and exits the body through the opening in the penis or vagina.

The Nervous System.

The nervous system consists of the Central nervous system, the brain, spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system.

The basic functions and activities are regulated and co-ordinated by the nervous system, this is carried out via the relaying of electrical signals through the body; all organs and muscles rely on nerve impulses to function.

The brain transmits nerve impulses which travel down the spinal cord and transmits impulses via the peripheral nervous system; cranial nerves and spinal nerves extend the nervous system to every muscle and organ within the body.

The nervous system is responsible for the organs and muscles inside a body functioning. The nervous system controls the endocrine system, movement of the body, the digestive system and the circulation system.

The automatic nervous system comprises of sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, these parts of the nervous system are responsible for the regulation and coordination of vital organs within the body.

Cranial nerves are in the head, they go from your brain to your eyes, mouth, ears and other parts of the head.
Peripheral nerves are nerves that go from the spinal cord to the arms, legs, hands and feet.

Central nerves are the nerves in your spinal cord and brains.

Autonomic nerves are in the trunk of the human body, they go from the spinal cord to the lungs, heart, stomach, intestines, bladder and sex organs.

The Endocrine System.

Endocrines are ductless glands; they pass secretions of hormones directly into the bloodstream. The glands are scattered throughout the human body but always next to blood vessels.

“A network of glands distributed throughout the body forms the endocrine system. These glands produce hormones that are released into the circulation and distributed to distant target sites via the blood. Hormones produced by these glands act as chemical messengers to control body functions such as growth, metabolism, sexual development, and egg and sperm production.” ( GREENFACTS [2009] Endocrine System [online] Greenfacts UK. Available from: . [Accessed: 27/11/2010]). 

Figure 5 shows where the major endocrine glands can be found within the human body.

The Reproductive System.

The male and female reproductive systems are different as they both have different purposes.

The Female Reproductive System.

The female reproductive system comprises of the fallopian tubes, the uterus, the ovaries and the cervix.


There are two ovaries within the female reproductive system which have connective tubes to the uterus (womb) called the fallopian tubes.

The ovaries contain thousands of eggs which are made in the oviduct. The eggs are released into the fallopian tubes to be transported to the uterus to await fertilisation from the sperm which is provided by the male.

The opening to the uterus is called the cervix which acts as a protective barrier between the vagina and the uterus.

Above the entrance to the vagina is the urethra where urine is excreted and above this is the clitoris.

The fleshy folds on the exterior of the vagina are known as the labia, they protect the vagina.

The Male Reproductive System.

The male reproductive system consists of two testes which hang in a protective skin sac called the scrotum; the testis hang outside the male body as this is where sperm is made. Sperm is made at a lower temperature to that of the internal heat of the body.

The scrotum expands and contracts in size dependent upon the amount of exterior heat. The testes contain seminiferous tubules where sperm is made and stored.

The scrotum and abdomen are connected via the vas deferens to the urethra. The urethra is the excretion passageway which is inside the penis. The urethra transports sperm during sexual intercourse as well as secretions from the prostate gland, ejaculatory ducts and bulbourethral glands.

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The bulbourethral glands are responsible for the neutralisation of the acidic urine that may remain in the urethra. When the gland secretion mixes with sperm then seminal fluid is formed (sperm).

The penis deposits semen into the vagina during sexual intercourse.

The prostate gland is under the bladder and surrounds the top of the urethra. The secretions of the prostate gland neutralise the acidity of the vaginal fluids which allows sperm to move through the vagina to the uterus to fertilise an egg.

The Musculo-Skeletal System.

The musculo- skeletal system is the bones of the human ...

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