Homogenous and Heterogenous Mixtures

Homogeneous Mixture
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

 
 Define mixture.
 Define homogeneous mixture.
 Give examples of homogeneous mixtures.

HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR COFFEE?

How do you like your coffee?

Many people enjoy a cup of coffee at some point during the day. Some may drink it black, while others may put
cream (or some dairy substitute) and sugar in their coffee. You can buy high-end coffee drinks at espresso
stands (either sit-down or drive-through). Whatever your preference, you want the coffee to be the same at the
beginning and the end of your drink. You don’t want the components to separate out, but you want your drink to
be uniform from top to bottom.

Mixtures

Ordinary table salt is called sodium chloride. It is considered a substance because it has a uniform
and definite composition. All samples of sodium chloride are chemically identical. Water is also a pure
substance. Salt easily dissolves in water, but salt water cannot be classified as a substance because
its composition can vary. You may dissolve a small amount of salt or a large amount into a given
amount of water. A mixture is a physical blend of two or more components, each of which retains its
own identity and properties in the mixture . Only the form of the salt is changed when it is dissolved
into water. It retains its composition and properties.

Homogeneous Mixtures

A homogeneous mixture is a mixture in which the composition is uniform throughout the mixture. The
salt water described above is homogeneous because the dissolved salt is evenly distributed
throughout the entire salt water sample. Often it is easy to confuse a homogeneous mixture with a
pure substance because they are both uniform.  The difference is that the composition of the
substance is always the same. The amount of salt in the salt water can vary from one sample to
another. All solutions would be considered homogeneous because the dissolved material is present in
the same amount throughout the solution.

One characteristic of mixtures is that they can be separated into their components. Since each part of
the mixture has not reacted with another part of the mixture, the identities of the different materials is
unchanged.

SUMMARY

 A homogeneous mixture is a mixture in which the composition is uniform throughout the

mixture.
 All solutions would be considered homogeneous.

PRACTICE

Questions
Use the link below to answer the following questions:
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/homogeneous-mixture-examples.html
1. What is the composition of gunpowder?
2. Why would vinegar be considered a homogeneous mixture?
3. Name three alloys and list what they are composed of.

REVIEW

Questions
1. What is a mixture?
2. What is a homogeneous mixture?
3. Are all solutions homogeneous mixtures?
4. Can homogeneous mixtures be separated into their components?

 
Glossary
 homogeneous: A mixture in which the composition is uniform throughout the mixture.
 mixture: consists of multiple substances put together.
 substance: It has a uniform and definite composition.

Heterogeneous Mixtures
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

 Define heterogeneous mixture.

 Define phase.
 Give examples of heterogeneous mixtures.

WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO EAT A BAG OF JELLY BEANS?

What’s the best way to eat a bag of jelly beans?

Many people open the bag and eat all the candy, no matter what flavor each piece is. Others pick through the
collection. They might say “I don’t like the orange ones.” Or maybe they just care for the lemon ones. There are
different kinds of jelly beans in the mixture and people will eat what they want and get rid of the rest.

Heterogeneous Mixtures

A heterogeneous mixture is a mixture in which the composition is not uniform throughout the mixture.
Vegetable soup is a heterogeneous mixture. Any given spoonful of soup will contain varying amounts
of the different vegetables and other components of the soup.
A phase is any part of a sample that has a uniform composition and properties. By definition, a pure
substance or a homogeneous mixture consists of a single phase. A heterogeneous mixture consists of
two or more phases.  When oil and water are combined, they do not mix evenly, but instead form two
separate layers. Each of the layers is called a phase.

Figure 2.9

Oil and water do not mix, instead forming two distinct layers called phases. The oil phase is less dense
than the water phase and so the oil floats on top of the water.

In the vegetable soup example, one phase would be the liquid soup itself. This phase has vitamins,
minerals, and other components dissolved in the water. This phase would be homogeneous. The
carrots, peas, corn, or other vegetables represent other phases of the soup. The various vegetables
are not mixed evenly mixed in the soup, but are spread around at random.

There are a large number of heterogeneous mixtures around us. Soil is composed of a variety of
substances and is often of different composition depending on the sample taken. One shovel may
come up with dirt and grass while the next shovel could contain an earthworm.

Smog is another example of a heterogeneous mixture. This murky collection of pollutants can be a
mixture of water and contaminants from burning gasoline or plastics mixed with nitric oxide derivatives
and ozone. You can see that the smog distribution in the air illustrate below is not evenly spread out,
but varies from one part of the atmosphere to another.
Figure 2.10

Smog in New York City.

SUMMARY

 A heterogeneous mixture is a mixture in which the composition is not uniform throughout the
mixture.
 A phase is a separate layer in a heterogeneous mixture.

PRACTICE

Questions
Use the link below to answer the following questions:
http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/matter/faq/what-is-heterogeneous.shtml
1. Why is a mixture of sand and sugar a heterogeneous mixture?
2. What are the phases in a glass of iced tea?
3. How is blood a heterogeneous mixture?

REVIEW

Questions
1. Define a heterogeneous mixture.
2. Why is vegetable soup a heterogeneous mixture?
 3. How many phases are in a heterogeneous mixture?

Glossary
 heterogeneous mixture: A mixture in which the composition is not uniform throughout the
mixture.
 phase: A separate layer in a heterogeneous mixture.
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/cheminter/chapter/homogenous-and-heterogenous-mixtures/

Solutions (homogeneous)

A solution is a mixture where one of the substances dissolves in the other. The substance that dissolves is
called the solute. The substance that does not dissolve is called the solvent.

An example of a solution is salt water. These components can be easily separated through evaporation and
they each retain their original properties. However, the salt is dissolved into the water to where you can't see it
and it is evenly distributed in the water. In this example the water is the solvent and the salt is the solute.

What is the difference between a solution and a mixture?

In chemistry a solution is actually a type of mixture. A solution is a mixture that is the same or uniform
throughout. Think of the example of salt water. This is also called a "homogenous mixture." A mixture that is not
a solution is not uniform throughout. Think of the example of sand in water. This is also called a "heterogeneous
mixture."

Alloys (homogeneous)

An alloy is a mixture of elements that has the characteristic of a metal. At least one of the elements mixed is a
metal. One example of an alloy is steel which is made from a mixture of iron and carbon.

Suspensions (heterogeneous)

A suspension is a mixture between a liquid and particles of a solid. In this case the particles do not dissolve.
The particles and the liquid are mixed up so that the particles are dispersed throughout the liquid. They are
"suspended" in the liquid. A key characteristic of a suspension is that the solid particles will settle and separate
over time if left alone.

An example of a suspension is a mixture of water and sand. When mixed up, the sand will disperse throughout
the water. If left alone, the sand will settle to the bottom.

Colloids (heterogeneous)

A colloid is a mixture where very small particles of one substance are evenly distributed throughout another
substance. They appear very similar to solutions, but the particles are suspended in the solution rather than fully
dissolved. The difference between a colloid and a suspension is that the particles will not settle to the bottom
over a period of time, they will stay suspended or float.

An example of a colloid is milk. Milk is a mixture of liquid butterfat globules dispersed and suspended in water.
 Colloids are generally considered heterogeneous mixtures, but have some qualities of homogeneous mixtures
as well.

Interesting Facts about Mixtures

 Smoke is a mixture of particles that are suspended in the air.

 Tap water is a mixture of water and other particles. Pure water or H2O is generally referred to as distilled
water.
 Many of the substances we come into contact with every day are mixtures including the air we breathe
which is a mixture of gases like oxygen and nitrogen.
 Blood is a mixture that can be separated by a machine called a centrifuge into its two main parts: plasma
and red blood cells.
 Mixtures can be liquids, gases, and solids.

Separation of Mixtures
 Since they are formed by physically combining substances, mixtures can be physically
separated.

For example, if a copper sulfate solution is boiled, the water evaporates away and the copper
sulfate powder remains.
 

The formation of a mixture is a physically reversible process.

(Images: LHcheM, Benjah-bmm27, Cjp24; Wikimedia Commons)

Separation Techniques
 There are many different techniques for separating mixtures into their components.

The most appropriate technique depends on the type of mixture and the physical properties

of the components.
 It also depends on whether you want to retrieve all of the components or not.
For example, if we had a solution of salt water, the most appropriate separation technique
would depend on whether we wanted to recover both the salt and water, or just the salt.
 

How could we separate pure water from salty, muddy water?

(Image: Meganbeckett27, Wikimedia Commons)

Physical Properties of Mixture Components

 Separation techniques take advantage of differing physical properties of the
components of a mixture.

For example, by evaporating the water from a copper sulfate solution, we are taking
advantage of the fact that water has a lower boiling point than copper sulfate. In fact, water
boils long before copper sulfate even melts.
However, if we heated a solution of ethanol and water, the ethanol would boil and evaporate
before the water, as ethanol has a lower boiling point than water.
We would therefore need to use a different separation technique to remove water from an
ethanol-water solution.
  

Each pure substance within a mixture has its own specific melting and boiling point.
(Image: Aleksander Sobolewski, Wikimedia Commons)

 There are other physical properties of components, besides melting and boiling point,
that can be utilised when separating mixtures, including:

• Size
• Solubility
• Density
• Magnetism and other forms of attraction
 
       

 
What are some differences in physical properties that could be used to separate these mixtures?
(Images: PublicDomainPictures, Pixabay; Jan-Mallander, *Pixabay*; Kallol Mustafa, Wikimedia Commons)

Separating Heterogeneous and Homogeneous Mixtures

 Separation techniques can generally be divided into those that involve the separation of
heterogeneous mixtures and those that involve the separation of homogeneous mixtures.

Some of the main separation techniques are shown in the table below.
 

Techniques for Separating Techniques for Separating

Heterogeneous Mixtures Homogeneous Mixtures
Decanting Evaporation
Sieving Distillation
Filtration Chromatography
Separating funnel
Centrifugation
Magnetic separation
  

Decanting
 Decanting involves separating a dense, insoluble substance from a heterogeneous
mixture.

For example, if we mixed sand with water in a beaker, the sand would not dissolve, but would
settle to the bottom, forming a sediment layer.
By gently pouring off the water (the supernatant), we could separate the sand from it.

 In the laboratory, using a glass rod can assist the decanting process, as it minimises the
amount of splashing and reduces the risk of pouring off some of the sediment.

 Decanting is only a useful method if the solid particles readily settle to the bottom.

It would not be useful, for example, in separating fine silt particles from water, as they often
remain suspended in the water.
 

The technique for decanting in the laboratory

  
 

Gold panning utilises the principle of decanting; the heavier gold particles sink to the bottom of
the pan, while the lighter sand and silt particles are poured off with the water.
(Image: Janothird, Wikimedia Commons)

Sieving
 Sieving involves separating a mixture based on different sizes of components.

For example, small rocks can be separated from sand by sieving the mixture. The smaller
sand grains will pass through the holes in the sieve, whereas the rocks will not pass through.

 Sieving can also be used to separate solids from liquids, assuming the solid pieces are
larger than the holes in the sieve.

For example, straining cooked rice is a form of sieving.

 

Sieving separates mixture components based on their size.

 
 

This soil sieve sits on a vibrating platform, which causes the soil components to fall through the
different sized mesh dividers, separating into different fractions based on grain size.
 (Image: Sibiii, Wikimedia Commons)

Filtration
 Filtration is a special form of sieving that separates very fine solid particles from liquid or
gas mixtures.

Filter paper (or a similar substance with very fine pores) is used as a sieve.
For example, air and water filters are used in a variety of applications to keep air and water
free from minute dust and other particles.

 In a laboratory, filtration is often carried out by placing filter paper in a funnel, pouring
the mixture into the funnel and collecting the filtered liquid in a beaker.

The liquid that passes through the filter is called the filtrate and the solid that gets trapped in
the filter is called the residue.
 

Set-up for laboratory filtration

 
 
     
Left: This air filter prevents harmful dirt and dust particles from getting inside the car engine.
Right: Water filters remove impurities from drinking water.
(Images: Tanescia, Pixabay; melvil, Wikimedia Commons)

Separating Funnel
 A separating funnel can be used to separate a mixture of two non-miscible liquids – that
is, liquids that do not mix together to form a homogeneous solution.

When such a mixture is allowed to settle, the less dense liquid will form a layer on top of the
more dense liquid.
A tap attached to the separating funnel allows the bottom liquid layer to be drained, while
the top liquid layer remains in the flask and can be drained separately.

 This technique is mostly used to separate liquids that are miscible in water from liquids
that are non-miscible in water.

An oil-water mixture would be an example of this.

 

Set-up for using a laboratory separating funnel

  
 

Separating funnels can be used for separating non-miscible liquids.

(Image: PRHaney, Wikimedia Commons)

Centrifugation
 Centrifugation involves spinning tubes of heterogeneous mixtures at very high speeds,
which forces part of the mixture to settle at the bottom of the tube.

It can be used for separating solid particles from liquids, or for separating non-miscible
liquids.

 After centrifugation, the top liquid layer can be carefully removed using a span
class=”emphasis-1″>pipette.

Examples include the separation of fat from milk and the separation of different components
in blood (red blood cells, white blood cells and plasma).
  

A centrifuge spins mixtures at very high speeds to separate components.

 
 

A laboratory centrifuge
(Image: scotth23, Pixabay)

 Centrifugation can also be combined with sieving for separating liquids from solids.

For example, washing machines and salad spinners combine centrifuging and sieving to
remove excess water from clothes and salad greens.
  

A salad spinner combines centrifuging and sieving to clean salad greens.

(Image: Lymantria, Wikimedia Commons)

Magnetic Separation
 Magnetic separation is a specialised method specifically used for separating magnetic
materials, such as iron, from non-magnetic materials, such as soil and plastic.

It is commonly used in the mining and recycling industries.

 

An example of using magnetic separation in the laboratory

  
 

Giant electromagnets can be used to sort scrap metal from other materials.
(Image: Life-Of-Pix, Pixabay)

Evaporation
 Evaporation is used for recovering dissolved solids from solutions.

The solution is either boiled or simply left uncovered, resulting in the evaporation of water
and the crystallisation of solutes.
For example, sea salt is recovered by the evaporation of sea water.
 

Laboratory set-up for evaporation using a Bunsen burner

 
 

Large man-made salt ponds are used to evaporate sea water, leaving behind sea salt.
(Image: Barni1, Pixabay)

 
 Distillation
 Distillation is similar to evaporation, except that the evaporated substance, known as
the distillate, is collected.

The evaporated substance is passed through a tube known as a condenser, which is

surrounded by cold water.
The evaporated substance is cooled, causing it to condense back to a liquid so that it can be
collected.

 Distillation can be used to separate liquids based on their differing boiling point.

It is commonly used in producing petrol, alcohol and perfumes.

Distillation can also be used to remove dissolved impurities from substances, such as in the
purification of water.
 

Set-up for laboratory distillation

  
 

Huge distillation columns are used to separate crude oil into a variety of components, including
petrol, kerosene, engine oil and natural gas.
(Image: Luigi Chiesa, Wikimedia Commons)

Chromatography
 Chromatography is used to separate liquid or gas mixtures.

It uses very small quantities as its purpose is primarily for identifying and analysing
substances within a mixture, rather than separating mixtures to recover large amounts of
their components.
Some examples include drug testing of urine and blood samples, testing water samples for
pollutants, and comparing a suspect’s sample with evidence found at a crime scene.

 Chromatography uses the principle of different affinities (attraction) of substances within

a mixture to two separating substances, known as the stationary phase and the mobile
phase.

 Example
 If you wanted to separate the different coloured pigments in a water-soluble marker pen,
you could use a type of chromatography called paper chromatography.
Draw a large dot on a piece of chromatography paper, then place that piece of paper in a
beaker of water, with the dot slightly above the water as shown.
The water will be absorbed by the paper and move through it. As it does, it will dissolve the
pigments, causing them to move through the paper with the water. The different coloured
pigments within the ink dot will move at different rates, causing them to separate out.
Different types of ink will result in different pigment patterns, therefore different samples can
be compared to see if they contain the same ink.
In this example, the paper is the stationary phase as it doesn’t move. The water is the mobile
phase as it does move.
The pigment particles are attracted to both the paper and the water, but by different
degrees. Particles that are more attracted to the water will migrate faster; particles that are
more attracted to the paper will migrate slower.
 

Separation of ink by paper chromatography

 

 The principles described in the paper chromatography example are fundamentally the
same for all types of chromatography.

Gas chromatography uses a gas as the mobile phase, which passes through a column
containing the stationary phase, which is usually a non-absorbent solid or a viscous liquid.
 Liquid chromatography uses a liquid as the mobile phase, which passes through a column –
usually at high pressure. The column contains the stationary phase, which is usually a porous
solid.
 

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) can detect trace amounts of substances in a

sample.
(Image: Kjaergaard, Wikimedia Commons)
Many of the substances we use everyday were actually once part of a mixture. Someone somewhere separated
that substance from the mixture so we could use it. It turns out that many compounds and elements aren't found
in nature in their pure form, but are found as parts of mixtures. Separating substances from mixtures is an
important part of chemistry and modern industry.

Some important chemistry terms are used in this section including mixtures, suspensions, and solutions. You
can click on the links to learn more about each of them.

Why do we want to separate mixtures?

All the way back to Ancient History, industrious humans have separated mixtures in order to obtain the specific
substances that they need. One example of this is extracting metal from ore in order to make tools and
weapons. We'll discuss some other examples of separation below.

Separation Processes

The way in which different substances in a mixture are separated is called a process. There are a number of
different processes used for separation. Many of them are very complex and involve dangerous chemicals or
high temperatures. A lot of important industries in the world today are based on separation processes.

Filtration

One common method of separation is filtration. Filters are used everywhere. We use them in our houses to filter
dust and mites out of the air we breathe. We use them to filter impurities from our water. We even have filters in
our bodies such as our kidneys which act as filters to get bad stuff out of our blood.
The filtration process is generally used to separate a suspension mixture where small solid particles are
suspended in liquid or air. In the case of filtering water, the water is forced through a paper that is made up of a
very fine mesh of fibers. The water that has been run through the filter is called the filtrate. The particles that are
removed from the water by the filter are called the residue.

Distillation

Another common separation process is called distillation. Distillation uses boiling to separate mixtures of liquid
solutions. It takes into account that different substances in the mixture will have different boiling points.

For example, if you heat salt water the water in the solution will boil before the salt. The water will then
evaporate leaving the salt behind. If the steam from the water is collected it will turn back into liquid as it cools.
This cooled water will be pure water without any salt.

Centrifuge

In some cases, there are suspension mixtures where

the solid particles are too fine to be separated with a
filter. In these cases, sometimes a centrifuge is used.
Centrifuges are mechanical devices that spin at very
high speeds. These high speeds allow the solid
particles in suspensions to settle very quickly. For
example, rather than wait for sand to slowly settle to
the bottom of water, a centrifuge can cause the sand to
settle in a matter of seconds.

Some examples of how centrifuges are used include

separating blood into plasma and red cells, separating The heavier particles move to the outside
cream from milk, and separating uranium isotopes for of the cylinder as the centrifuge spins
nuclear power plants. allowing the mixture to be separated.
 Other Processes

There are many other separation processes such as sublimation, adsorption, crystallization, and
chromatography. Sometimes it takes many stages of processes to get to the final result. One example of this is
the processing of crude oil. Crude oil uses many levels of fractional distillation to produce a number of different
products including gasoline, jet fuel, propane gas, and heating oil.

Interesting Facts about Separating Mixtures

 To separate liquid solutions where the substances have similar boiling points, a more complex version of
distillation is used called fractional distillation.
 Painting uses the separation process of evaporation. The wet paint is a mixture of color pigment and a
solvent. When the solvent dries and evaporates, only the color pigment is left.
 The separation process of winnowing was used in ancient cultures to separate the grain from the chaff.
They would throw the mixture into the air and the wind would blow away the lighter chaff, leaving the
heavier grain.
 High speed centrifuges can spin up to 30,000 times a minute.
 Many separation processes are occurring constantly in nature.

How do you separate mechanical mixtures?

1. Sorting. The simplest way to separate mechanical mixtures is by sorting.
2. Floating. Sometimes, parts of a mechanical mixture will float on the surface. ...
3. Settling. Sand and cocoa powder both settle in water. ...
4. Using a Magnet. Some metals such as iron and steel are attracted to magnets. ...
5. Using Sieves and Filters. ...
6. Dissolving.

Summary
 Since mixtures are formed by the physical combining of substances, they can also be
physically separated.

 The most appropriate technique for separating a mixture depends on the type of mixture
and the physical properties of the components.

 Separation techniques take advantage of differing physical properties between the

components of a mixture, such as: melting and boiling point, size of fragments, solubility,
density, magnetism and other forms of attraction.

 Separation techniques can be divided into those that involve the separation of
heterogeneous mixtures and those that involve the separation of homogeneous mixtures.

 Decanting involves separating a liquid (supernatant) from a solid (sediment) by gently

pouring off the liquid.
 Sieving involves separating a mixture based on different sizes of components, where
smaller fragments pass through holes in the sieve but large fragments do not.

 Filtration is a special form of sieving where filter paper is used to trap very fine solid
particles (residue) from the rest of a liquid or gas mixture (filtrate).

 Separating funnels or used for separating liquids with different densities.

 Centrifugation separates heterogeneous mixtures by spinning them at very high speeds,

which forces components to separate into layers.

 Magnetism can be used for separating magnetic materials from non-magnetic materials.

 Evaporation is used for recovering dissolved substances from solutions by evaporating

the solvent and crystallising the solute.

 Distillation involves the evaporation of a liquid (distillate), which is then cooled and

condensed back into a liquid, to be collected separately.

 Chromatography separates mixtures based on their differing levels of attraction to two

different substances, known as the mobile phase and the stationary phase.

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Organs
What is an organ?

An organ is a group of tissues in a living organism that has a specific form and function.

Organ Systems

Organs are grouped together into organ systems. Organ systems perform a specific task. In most
animals there are ten major organ systems:
  Nervous system - The nervous system is responsible for carrying messages from the brain to
various parts of the body. It includes the brain, spinal cord, and nerves.
 Respiratory system - The respiratory system is responsible for breathing. It transfers oxygen
into the blood stream and removes carbon dioxide. It includes the lungs, larynx, and airways.
 Cardiovascular or circulatory system - The cardiovascular system carries blood throughout the
body to help bring nutrients to various other organs. It includes the heart, blood, and blood
vessels.
 Digestive system - The digestive system processes food into substances that different parts of
the body can use for energy and nutrients. It includes organs such as the stomach, gallbladder,
intestines, liver, and pancreas.
 Endocrine system - The endocrine system uses hormones to regulate many functions
throughout the entire body such as growth, mood, metabolism, and reproduction. Major organs
in the endocrine system include glands such as the pituitary, thyroid, and adrenal glands.
 Excretory system - The excretory system helps your body to get rid of food and toxins that it
doesn't need. It includes organs such as the kidneys and bladder.
 Integumentary system - The integumentary system protects the body from the outside world. It
includes the skin, hair, and nails.
 Muscular system - The muscular system is made up of all the muscles in our bodies. It is
controlled by the nervous system.
 Reproductive system - The reproductive system includes all the organs needed for
reproduction. Unlike the rest of the organ systems, the reproductive system is different in males
versus females.
 Skeletal system - The skeletal system provides support and protection for the rest of the organ
systems. It is made up of bones, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage.

Do plants have organs?

Yes, all complex living organisms have some types of organs. The three major organ systems in plants
include roots, stems, and leaves. You can go to this page to learn more about the major structures of
plants.

Major Organs in the Human Body

As you can see from the long list of organ systems, the human body has a large number of organs that
somehow all work together to keep us alive. Here is a list and short description of a few of the major
organs.

 Brain - Perhaps the most important organ in our body is the brain. It is here where we think, feel
emotions, make decisions, and control the rest of the body. The brain is protected by a thick
skull and fluid.
 Lungs - Lungs are major organs that bring much needed oxygen into our blood stream.
 Liver - The liver performs all sorts of vital functions in our bodies from helping us to break down
food in digestion to ridding our bodies of toxins.
 Stomach - The stomach holds our food when we first eat it and secretes enzymes that help to
break down our food before it goes to the small intestine.
 Kidneys - The kidneys help to keep our bodies clean from toxins and other waste products.
Without our kidneys our blood would quickly become poisoned.
 Heart - The heart is considered by many to be the center of life. Having a healthy heart helps to
keep the rest of the organs and body healthy as well.
  Skin - The skin is a major organ that covers our entire body. It also provides feedback to the
brain through the sense of touch.

Interesting Facts about Organs

 Some organs are called hollow organs because they have an empty tube or pouch. Examples
of hollow organs include the stomach, intestine, and the heart.
 The eye is an organ that is generally considered part of the nervous system.
 Other organ systems in the human body include the immune system and the lymphatic system.
 The small intestine is actually much longer than the large intestine.
 Some scientists say that the liver performs as many as 500 different functions.

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Human Body
The human body is a complex biological system involving cells, tissues, organs, and systems all
working together to make up a human being.

Human Body
Source: openclipart.org
Main Structures

From the outside, the human body can be divided into several main structures. The head houses
the brain which controls the body. The neck and trunk house many of the important systems that keep
the body alive and healthy. The limbs (arms and legs) help the body to move about and function in the
world.

Senses

The human body has five main senses that it uses to convey information about the outside world to the
brain. These senses include sight (eyes), hearing (ears)Hearing and the Ear, smell (nose), taste
(tongue), and touch (skin).
Organ Systems

The human body consists of several organ systems. Each system is made up of organs and other
body structures that work together to perform a specific function. Most scientists divide the body into
11 systems.

1. Skeletal System - The skeletal system is made up of bones, ligaments, and tendons. It supports
the overall structure of the body and protects the organs.

2. Muscular System - The muscular system works closely with the skeletal system. Muscles help
the body to move and interact with the world.

3. Cardiovascular/Circulatory System - The circulatory system helps deliver nutrients throughout

the body. It consists of the heart, blood, and blood vessels.

4. Digestive System - The digestive system helps to convert food into nutrients and energy for the
body. Some of the organs included in the digestive system are the stomach, small intestine,
large intestine, liver, and pancreas.

5. Nervous System - The nervous system helps the body to communicate and allows the brain to
control various functions of the body. It includes the brain, spinal cord, and a large network of
nerves.

6. Respiratory System - The respiratory system brings oxygen into the body through the lungs and
windpipe. It also removes carbon dioxide from the body.
7. Endocrine System - The endocrine system produces hormones that help regulate the other
systems in the body. It includes the pancreas, adrenal glands, thyroid, pituitary, and more.

8. Uriary System - The urinary system uses the kidneys to filter the blood and eliminate waste. It
includes the kidneys, bladder, and urethra.
 9. Immune/Lymphatic System - The lymphatic and immune systems work together to protect the
body from diseases.
10. Reproductive System - The reproductive system includes the sex organs that enable people to
have babies. This system is different for males and females.
11. Integumentary System - The integumentary system helps protect the body from the outside
world. It includes the skin, hair, and nails.

Cells, Tissues, and Organs

Like all living organisms, the human body is made up of cells. There are all different types of cells in
the human body. When lots of similar cells work together to perform a function, they make up tissue.
There are four main types of tissue in the human body including muscle tissue, connective tissue,
epithelial tissue, and nervous tissue.

Organs are somewhat independent parts of the body that carry out special functions. They are made
up of tissues. Examples of organs include the eyes, heart, lungs, liver, and stomach.

Interesting Facts about the Human Body

 The human body is made up of around 37 trillion cells.

 The average human heart beats around 100,000 times every day.
 If you spread out the wrinkles in the brain it would be about the size of a pillow case.
 Fingernails grow much faster than toenails. They are both made of a protein called keratin.
 About 60% of the human body is made up of water.
 The brain itself does not feel pain.
 The largest of the human internal organs is the small intestine.
 Acid in the stomach is powerful enough to dissolve some metals.
 The left lung is typically around 10% smaller than the right lung. This is to make room for the
heart.
 Humans are born with 270 bones. Several of these bones fuse together by adulthood making a
total of 206 bones in the adult human body.

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