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Perspectives in Nutrition, 5/e
Gordon M. Wardlaw, Ohio State University
Margaret W. Kessel, Ohio State University
Human Physiologic Processes

Chapter 3 Summary

  1. The basic structural unit of the human body is the cell. Although almost all cells contain the same collection of organelles (nucleus, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, lysosomes, peroxisomes, and cytoplasm), their structure varies according to the type of job they must perform. In the integumentary system, epithelial cells provide a covering for internal structures, and skin cells provide protection from the environment.

  2. A variety of bone cells produce the body's framework and internal support. Blood cells are synthesized within bones.

  3. The muscle cells produce movement, as they are elastic. Muscles are classified as skeletal, smooth, or cardiac. Skeletal muscle is under voluntary control. Smooth and cardiac muscle are under involuntary control. Muscle cells generate body heat.

  4. Cells that line the aveoli of the lungs make it possible to exchanges gasses (oxygen and carbon dioxide) between the environment and the blood.

  5. The cells that make up the nervous system, neurons, are the body's communication network. They control and manage all other systems of the body. Unlike most cells in the body, neurons do not ordinarily regenerate themselves.

  6. Cells that make up the endocrine system produce hormones, which chemically regulate almost all other cells.

  7. The circulatory system transports nutrients and oxygen to body cells and removes waste materials. This system also distributes products made by the cells to specific sites.

  8. The lymph system, like the circulatory system, is a drainage and transport system, but it also functions as part of the body's immune system. Certain immune cells are produced by lymph glands or are found in bones. These cells are responsible for protecting the body from invading pathogens. Immunity is either specific or nonspecific. We are born with some immunity in place, and we activate immunity when we come in contact with a pathogen. T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes are cells associated with specific immunity.

  9. The cells that make up the digestive system break down food and convert it to absorbable materials. These cells are an internal passageway from the mouth to the anus. The digestive system is composed of the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and colon. The liver, gallbladder, and pancreas make up the accessory organs of the digestive tract.

  10. The cells that make up the urinary system are responsible for filtering the blood, removing body wastes, and maintaining the chemical composition of the blood.

  11. The female reproductive system produces sex cells (ova), which unite with sperm from the male to produce a human in about 9 months.

  12. The male reproductive system produces sex cells (sperm) to deliver to the female's reproductive system.









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