Question

Body Systems Work Together
Body Systems Work Together

You know that your body is made of cells. When groups of cells do the same kind of work, they are called tissues. The word tissue comes from a Latin word meaning to "weave." Cells that make up tissues are sometimes "woven" together.

You have four main types of tissues: epithelial, nervous, muscle, and connective tissue. Epithelial tissue covers the outside of the body. It also lines organs and cavities. Nervous tissue sends electrical signals. Muscle tissue helps you move. Connective tissue joins bones and cushions organs.

When groups of tissues work together, they are called organs. Some examples of organs are the heart, lungs, skin, and stomach. When organs work together, they are called systems. For example, your heart, lungs, blood, and blood vessels work together. They make up the circulatory system.

There are eleven systems in the human body: muscular system, respiratory system, digestive system, integumentary system (skin), skeletal system, circulatory (or cardiovascular) system, excretory (or urinary) system, reproductive system, nervous system, lymphatic system, and endocrine system. Each system has a special job.

All of your body systems have to work together to keep you healthy. Your bones and muscles work together to support and move your body. Your respiratory system takes in oxygen from the air. It also gets rid of carbon dioxide.

Your digestive system absorbs water and nutrients from the food you eat.

Your circulatory system carries oxygen, water, and nutrients to cells throughout your body. Wastes from the cells are eliminated by your respiratory system, your excretory system, and your skin. Your nervous system controls all these activities with electrical impulses. If any system in your body isn't working properly, other systems are affected.

Think of your body as a building. A building has a plumbing system, a heating system, a cooling system, an electrical system, and a support system. If any system in a building breaks down, other systems can be affected.

As one example, think about a building's electrical system. Suppose a mouse chewed through an electrical wire to a furnace. Without electricity, the heating system would not work. If this happened in very cold weather, the plumbing system could be affected. Water pipes might freeze and burst. If a lot of water leaked into the building's walls, its support system would be damaged. Like a building's systems, your body's systems have to work together.

By Cindy Grigg



Constructed Response Question
Read the passage titled "Body Systems Work Together". Use the information provided and your own knowledge to explain how multiple systems are involved in the process of answering a ringing telephone. Include at least three body systems in your answer, and explain how they contribute to the process of answering the phone.
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Answer 1

When you hear a ringing telephone, multiple systems in your body work together to enable you to answer the call. Here’s how three specific body systems contribute to this process:

1. **Nervous System**: The first system involved is the nervous system. When the phone rings, sound waves enter your ears, and auditory signals are transmitted to your brain through the auditory nerve. Your brain processes these signals and recognizes that the sound is a telephone ringing. The nervous system then sends electrical impulses to various parts of the body, preparing them for action.

2. **Muscular System**: Once the brain has processed the information and decided to answer the phone, the muscular system takes over. Your brain sends signals to the muscles in your arm and hand. These muscles contract to lift your arm and reach for the phone. Once you grasp the phone, the muscles in your hand flex to hold it securely.

3. **Skeletal System**: The skeletal system plays a supporting role in this process. It provides the structure necessary for movement. The bones in your arm and hand allow the muscles to pull against something solid, enabling you to lift and maneuver the phone effectively. The skeletal system also protects organs involved in coordination and communication, such as the brain, which is crucial for processing the ringing sound and coordinating your actions.

Together, these systems—nervous, muscular, and skeletal—work in harmony to allow you to recognize the ringing phone and physically respond by answering it. If any of these systems failed to function properly, it could impede your ability to respond to the call effectively.