The basic building blocks of the human body are cells. Human cells are organized into tissues, tissues are organized into organs, and organs are organized into organ systems. The average human adult consists of an incredible 100 trillion cells! Cells are the basic units of structure and function in the human body, as they are in all living things. Each cell must carry out basic life processes in order to survive and help keep the body alive. Most human cells also have characteristics for carrying out other, special functions. For example, muscle cells have extra mitochondria to provide the energy needed to move the body. You can see examples of these and some other specialized human cells in Figure 16.1. To learn more about specialized human cells and what they do, watch this video: . MEDIA Click image to the left or use the URL below. URL: Specialized cells are organized into tissues. A tissue is a group of specialized cells of the same kind that perform the same function. There are four basic types of human tissues: connective, epithelial, muscle, and nervous tissues. The four types are shown in Figure 16.2. Connective tissue consists of cells that form the bodys structure. Examples include bone and cartilage, which protect and support the body. Blood is also a connective tissue. It circulates and connects cells throughout the body. Epithelial tissue consists of cells that cover inner and outer body surfaces. Examples include skin and the linings of internal organs. Epithelial tissue protects the body and its internal organs. It also secretes substances such as hormones and absorbs substances such as nutrients. Muscle tissue consists of cells that can contract, or shorten. Examples include skeletal muscle, which is attached to bones and makes them move. Other types of muscle include cardiac muscle, which makes the heart beat, and smooth muscle, which is found in other internal organs. Nervous tissue consists of nerve cells, or neurons, which can send and receive electrical messages. Nervous tissue makes up the brain, spinal cord, and other nerves that run throughout the body. The four types of tissues make up all the organs of the human body. An organ is a structure composed of two or more types of tissues that work together to perform the same function. Examples of human organs include the skin, brain, lungs, kidneys, and heart. Consider the heart as an example. Figure 16.3 shows how all four tissue types work together to make the heart pump blood. Human organs are organized into organ systems. An organ system is a group of organs that work together to carry out a complex function. Each organ of the system does part of the overall job. For example, the heart is an organ in the circulatory system. The circulatory system also includes the blood vessels and blood. There are many different human organ systems. Figure 16.4 shows six of them and gives their functions. The organ systems of the body work together to carry out life processes and maintain homeostasis. The body is in homeostasis when its internal environment is kept more-or-less constant. For example, levels of sugar, carbon dioxide, and water in the blood must be kept within narrow ranges. This requires continuous adjustments. For example: After you eat and digest a sugary snack, the level of sugar in your blood quickly rises. In response, the endocrine system secretes the hormone insulin. Insulin helps cells absorb sugar from the blood. This causes the level of sugar in the blood to fall back to its normal level. When you work out on a hot day, you lose a lot of water through your skin in sweat. The level of water in the blood may fall too low. In response, the excretory system excretes less water in urine. Instead, the water is returned to the blood to keep water levels from falling lower. What happens if homeostasis is not maintained? Cells may not get everything they need, or toxic wastes may build up in the body. If homeostasis is not restored, it may cause illness or even death.
Output: __type of tissue that covers inner and outer body surfaces