Click on the organ labels to learn more

Brain - The brain is the part of the central nervous system located within the skull. Among many other things, it processes information received from the senses and body and sends messages back to the body. Made up of over 100 billion cells, the brain functions as the body's computer and controls all functions. When blood flow to the brain is blocked, a stroke occurs.

Heart - The heart functions as a pump that moves blood through the body via the circulatory system, supplying the tissues with oxygen and nutrients while removing carbon dioxide. When blood flow to the heart is blocked, a heart attack (coronary thrombosis) occurs.

Spinal Cord - The spinal cord is the bundle of nerve fibers that connects the brain to the the rest of the body. The brain, together with the spinal cord and associated nerves, forms the nervous system.

Lungs - The lungs are a pair of organs in the respiratory system. The main function of the lungs is the exchange of gas known as respiration. In respiration, oxygen from air breathed into the body enters the bloodstream and carbon dioxide leaves the blood. The average person takes over six million breaths per year. Because the left lung rests on the heart, it has a special indentation known as the cardiac notch. The right lung is slightly heavier and more powerful.

Liver - The liver is a vital organ that filters blood coming from the digestive system before passing it to the rest of the body. It regulates chemical levels in the blood while excreting bile. Bile helps to break down fats so they can be digestive and absorbed as they pass through the digestive system. The liver is the organ that metabolizes drugs and medicines into forms that are easy for the body to use.

Spleen - The spleen stores white blood cells and platelets and also removes old or damaged red blood cells. Interestingly, as red blood cells pass through the spleen, they must traverse an obstacle course of narrow passages. Healthy blood cells easily pass, but those that can't pass through the spleen will be broken down by cells called macrophages. Macrophages are large white blood cells specifically designed to destroy damaged blood cells.

Pancreas - The pancreas is an important organ in that it helps convert food to energy that the body can use. Most of the pancreas is used to make enzymes that the body uses for digestion. The remaining part of the pancreas is made of cells called the islets of Langerhans. These cells are positioned in clusters that look like grapes and produce hormones that regulate the body's blood sugar. When healthy, the pancreas produces the right amount of chemicals (at the right time) to help digest food. When unhealthy, the pancreas produces too much or too little of the hormones glucagon and insulin - which play a major role in diabetes.

Small Intestine - 90% of digestion and absorption of food occurs in the small intestine. Villi, or small finger-like projections that extend from the walls of the small intestine help to absorb nutrients. The small intestine is made of three distinct parts: the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. The small intestine can be very long, although it is neatly folded in the abdominal wall. On average, it extends about 10-15 feet, but the longest small intestines have measured over 30 feet long!

Large Intestine - The main function of the large intestine is to absorb water from the material that has passed through the digestive system and to rid the body of the resulting waste.

Kidneys - There are several functions of the kidneys: to regulate the amount of plasma flowing to the other organs, regulate blood pressure, excrete wastes and toxins from the blood (forming urine), and to regulate blood pressure, ph levels, salt, and potassium in the body.