Content Curator
Largest organ in the human body is the Skin. The Human body is made up of 75 to 80 organs, collectively known as the organ system. These systems work to keep us alive.
- An organ can simply be defined as a self-contained group of tissues, which perform specific functions in the body.
- Organs are primarily made up of millions of tissue and billions of cells, which unite and work together to accomplish a specific function.
- There are different types of organs in the human body: heart, lungs, skin, brain, kidney, stomach, liver, etc.
Read More: Sense Organ and their Functions
| Table of Content |
Key terms: Human Organs, Kidneys, Lungs, Heart, Skin, Liver, Stomach, Interstitium, Brain
Largest Organ in the Human Body
[Click Here for Sample Questions]
Based on body weight and length, the ten largest organs in the body are the brain, lungs, thyroid, skin, joints, spleen, heart, liver, pancreas, and kidneys. These organs are easily visible and are involved in many functions.
The Skin is known as the largest of all human organs. However, according to a recent research, the interstitium as an organ, suggests that it may be larger than the skin.
The Skin
Skin is the largest external organ of the human body. It is an important organ with a flashy surface covered with glands, hair, nails, and nerves.
- It covers our entire body and acts as a barrier between the internal and external environment.
- Human skin is about 2 millimeters thick, weighing about 10895.10 grams, which is about 16 percent of the total body mass.
- In total, the skin occupies an area of 20 square feet on the surface of our body.
Functions of Skin
Skin is one of the primary organs that can sense cold, touch, pleasure, heat, pain, and pressure.
- It stores fat, vitamin D, and water. And it regulates body temperature.
- Removes excess salts, water, and other wastes in the form of sweat through sweat pores.
- Protects by preventing the entry of pathogens.
- Protects the body from environmental factors like germs, UV rays, radiation, pollution from the sun, allergies, and more.
Human Skin Diagram
Also Read:
The Lungs
Lungs are also classified as the largest human organ based on their storage capacity. Together, our lungs weigh about 2.2 pounds or about 1 kilogram. On average, the lungs of an adult male can hold about 6 liters of air. That’s roughly the equivalent of three 2-liter soda bottles.
- Lungs are the most significant organ of the human respiratory system.
- When we inhale, our lungs oxygenate our blood and when we exhale, our blood releases carbon dioxide.
- Pair of lungs are located within the thoracic cavity of the chest.
- They are soft, spongy, and elastic organs enclosed in a membranous thin sac called the pleura.
- Our left lung is slightly smaller than our right lung which allows space for the heart.
- Together, the surface area of the lung is very large. That is why it is called the largest external organ of the human body.
Human Lungs Diagram
The Liver
The liver is the largest, intrinsic, and diverse metabolically complex organ in humans. In the human body, the liver is located in the upper right area of the abdomen, below the rib cage and lungs. The liver is a solid organ, weighing approximately 3-3.5 pounds or 1493.8 grams, and is about the size of a football.
Functions of Liver
The liver is the only organ that can regenerate efficiently.
- It manufactures and secretes bile.
- It activates enzymes and stores minerals, vitamins, and glycogen.
- It also acts as a blood clotting factor and produces proteins for blood plasma.
- It stores excess glucose as glycogen.
- It detoxifies and purifies the blood.
- It is responsible for excreting cholesterol, bilirubin, hormones, and drugs.
- It carries out the metabolism of protein, fat, and carbohydrates.
- It synthesizes plasma proteins, namely clotting factors and albumin.
Human Liver Diagram
The Human Brain
The human brain weighs around 3 pounds or 1.36 kilograms. It is roughly the same size as two closed fists.
The brain interprets sensation, processes information, and controls behavior. It also controls the way we think and feel. Our brain is divided into two parts, which are connected by nerve fibers and both of them control specific functions.
Diagram of Human Brain
Often, the structure of the brain is compared to that of a large walnut. It contains about 100 trillion connections and 100 billion neurons, which send signals to each other and throughout the body. Our brain is always working and processing information even when we are sleeping.
The approximate size dimensions of our brain are below:
- Height: 9.3 cm or 3.6 inches
- Width: 14 cm or 5.5 inches
- Length: 16.7 cm or 6.5 inches
The Heart
The heart is the next largest organ after the lungs. The human heart is one of the most essential organs responsible for sustaining life.
- It is about the size of the two hands clasped together or a closed fists: 12cm or 4.7 inches long and 8.5 cm or 3.3 inches wide.
- On average, the human heart pumps about 1.5 million barrels in its lifetime.
- Our heart is located in the middle of the chest to the left side.
- The heart is a muscle in the center of our circulatory system.
- Within just 1 minute, the heart pumps 1.5 gallons of blood and delivers it to every cell in the body except the cornea of our eyes.
Human Heart Diagram
The Kidney
Our kidneys are the fourth largest organ in our body. An average kidney is about 4 to 4.7 inches or 10 to 12 cm long. The size of each kidney is of a small fist.
- Our kidneys are located under our rib cage, one on each side of our spine.
- There are about 1 million filtering units in each of our kidneys.
- When blood enters our kidneys, these filters work to control our body’s salt levels, remove the waste product and produce urine.
- In just 24 hours, our kidneys filter about 200 quarts of fluid and about 2 quarters of this is passed out of our body in the form of urine.
Diagram of Human Kidney
The Stomach
Our stomach is present in the upper, left part of our abdomen and is in front of the spleen. It is also below and behind the liver.
Functions of Stomach
The stomach holds solid liquids and foods that we swallow and begins to break them down. Enzymes and gastric acid initiate the digestion process.
- After 3-4 hours, the contents of the stomach proceed to be further digested.
- The stomach muscle is lined with ridges called rugae that can expand and allow our stomach to hold more liquid and food.
Diagram of Human Stomach
What is Interstitium?
[Click Here for Sample Questions]
More than half of our body’s fluid is located in our cells. About a seventh of our body’s fluid is found in the blood vessels, lymph vessels, lymph nodes, and heart. The remaining fluid is called the interstitial fluid.
The interstitium is a series of fluid-filled spaces made up of flexible connective tissue. This network of tissue is sometimes called a mesh or lattice. It is found in many parts of our body, including:
- In the lining of our urinary system.
- Surrounding our arteries and veins.
- In our fascia (the connective tissue that holds our body together).
- Under the surface of our skin.
- In the lining of our lungs and digestive tract.
It is well established that the body’s main source of lymph fluid is interstitium. It also protects tissue from the natural movement of our organs, like while digesting food, our GI tract contracts.
It may also play a role in conditions such as inflammatory diseases and cancer. For these factors, the function of the interstitium provides it the status of an organ but not all the scientists agree to it. More research is required to properly understand the Interstitium, as well as its overall size and its function.
Thus, the skin is the largest organ in the human body. The largest solid internal organ is our liver, followed by our brain, lungs, heart, and kidney.
Read More:
Things to Remember
- The largest organ in the human body is the skin. The skin is the only organ with the largest surface area.
- The liver is the largest intrinsic and metabolically complex organ of the human body.
- Based on the storage capacity, the lungs are considered as the largest organ.
- The kidneys are considered as the fourth largest organ of the body.
Sample Questions
Ques: Write a short note on Chromosome. How many chromosomes are present in a human skin cell? (5 marks)
Ans: Each cell's nucleus contains chromosomes, which are structures that resemble threads and contain the DNA molecule. Each chromosome is constructed from DNA that has been tightly wound around proteins called histones numerous times to support its structure.
When a cell is not dividing, chromosomes cannot be seen in the nucleus, not even under a microscope. However, during cell division, the DNA that makes up chromosomes gets more compactly packed and becomes visible under a microscope. The majority of what scientists understand about chromosomes comes from studying them during cell division.
The centromere, a point of constriction on each chromosome, separates the chromosome into its two "arms." The "p arm" refers to the chromosome's short arm. The "q arm" refers to the long arm of the chromosome. Each chromosome has a centromere, which gives the chromosome its distinctive structure and can be used to pinpoint the location of particular genes.
There are 23 pairs of chromosomes present in all the somatic cells of the body. They mean a total of 46 chromosomes. A human skin cell contains 46 chromosomes (human diploid number).
Ques: In which part of the human body is the smallest muscle found? (2 marks)
Ans: The smallest muscle as well bone in the human body are found in the ears. The smallest muscle is the stapedius muscle which is 6.3 mm long and helps to move the staple bone in the middle ear.
Ques: Is sweat the only cause of body odor? (2 marks)
Ans: Sweat itself has no odor, but when it mixes with bacteria and in a dark and moist environment, like an armpit, it provides power to the bacteria. Body odor is medically called bromhidrosis.
Ques: How many taste buds are on our tongue? Mention the types of taste bud and how they work. (3 marks)
Ans: There are nine thousand taste buds on our tongue. As we age, we lose a lot of these taste buds.
The groups of nerve cells that make up your taste buds send your brain sensory information. Your taste buds are stimulated by five fundamental flavors, including:
- Sweet.
- Salty.
- Bitter.
- Sour.
- Umami (savory)
It's a popular misperception that the tongue's various regions taste various flavors. All of your taste buds can actually distinguish all five flavors; only a few areas of your tongue are significantly more sensitive to each flavor than others.
Ques: Which area of the body are calcium crystals a normal part of? (2 marks)
Ans: The inner ear has a layer of very fine calcium crystals that help regulate balance. Balance is a choreographed arrangement that takes sensory information from various organs and integrates it to tell the body that it is related to gravity and the earth.
Ques. Which is the largest organ in the human body? (2 marks)
Ans: The skin is the organ that covers the whole surface of the body. It is the organ that takes up the most space in the human body. The inside living tissues and organs of the body, such as the heart and the brain, are protected by the skin.
Ques. What is the 3rd largest organ in the body? Write its function. (5 marks)
Ans: The human lungs take the spot as the third-largest organ in the body. It weighs around 1111.67 grams, which is equivalent to approximately 2.45 pounds.
Lungs' primary function Air from the atmosphere is brought in and oxygen is transferred into the bloodstream via Trusted Source. It then circulates to the rest of the body from there.
The body's supporting structures must assist the organs in breathing effectively. We employ the muscles of the diaphragm, the intercostal muscles between the ribs, the muscles of the belly, and occasionally even the muscles in the neck to breatheTrusted Source.
A muscle with a domed top that is located underneath the lungs is the diaphragm. Most of the labor required for breathing is powered by it. In order to create more room in the chest cavity and give the lungs more room to expand, it travels downward as it contracts. Air is drawn into the lungs through the nose or mouth when the chest cavity's capacity expands and its pressure decreases.
Ques. What is the strongest and weakest muscle in the body? (2 marks)
Ans: The masseter muscle is the strongest in the human body if strength is defined as having the greatest capacity for pressure. Naturally, you refer to the masseter as your jaw muscle.
The strap muscle, which can be found in the frontal region of the neck, is the human body's most frail muscle.
Ques. Write the function of Stomach. (2 marks)
Ans: The function of your stomach is to digest food and pass it on to your small intestine. It serves three purposes:
- Put food away for later.
- To combine and break down food, tighten and relax.
- create cells with particular functions and enzymes to aid in meal digestion.
Ques. Write the digestive function of Liver. (2 marks)
Ans: Bile juice, produced by the liver, aids in digestion and aids in the elimination of waste products. Through the process of glycogenolysis, the liver stores glucose and releases it as needed by the body. Glycogen is broken down into glucose during glycogenolysis. The liver also aids in the bilirubin's removal. Protein and cholesterol are produced by the liver to transport fat throughout the body.
Also check:
Comments