Huge resources are poured each year into studying diseases and finding new treatments. Some of the main focuses of research today are new drugs (including

Technology plays an increasingly important role in modern medicine. Today, HI-TECH IMAGING allows doctors to view internal body structures in amazing detail, while, SURGERY relies heavily on

Medicine is the practice of dealing with diseases and injuries to the body. One of its most important aspects is PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE, which recommends measures to

When a person has a disease, a part of that person’s body fails to function properly. Diseases produce different patterns of symptoms: knowing these helps

Many factors play a part in keeping your body and mind in good health. These include taking plenty of EXERCISE, eating a healthy DIET, and observing some

The processes of growth and development continue throughout life. They include physical changes, such as the increase in height that occurs throughout childhood, and mental

Genetics is the study of the instructions, contained in cells, for how our bodies develop and function. These instructions are called GENES and are carried by tiny

The male and female parts of the human reproductive system can bring together an egg and a sperm so that they join and begin the

The urinary system is responsible for ridding the body of many of its waste products. It also helps to maintain a stable environment by regulating

The liver has many important jobs in the body. It produces the digestive juice bile and processes nutrients to be used by the body. It

The job of the digestive system is to break down the food we eat into smaller units called nutrients. The nutrients are then absorbed into

The role of the immune system is to protect the body against germs and cancers. When it detects substances that it recognizes as abnormal or

Many body processes are influenced by hormones, chemical messengers produced by glands of the endocrine system. These glands release their hormones into the blood. The

The respiratory system provides your body cells with the oxygen they need and rids them of carbon dioxide, a waste product. Playing a central part

The circulatory system is centered on the HEART, a muscular organ that rhythmically pumps BLOOD around a complex network of BLOOD VESSELS extending to every part of the body. Blood

The skin, along with hair and nails, provides the body with a protective outer covering that shields it, for example, from harmful solar rays. It

Your sense of touch works by means of special sensory receptors scattered all over your body’s surface. These receptors allow you to feel an amazing

Whenever we are awake, our eyes work constantly to collect information about the world. As this data is analysed by the brain, we are supplied

Smell Humans have a very keen sense of smell: we can detect thousands of different smells. This ability relies on the presence of special sensory

The nervous system is the body’s main control system. It is made up of the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (or CNS) and a network of NERVES that extend from the

The skeleton is covered by layers of skeletal muscle. Each muscle is attached to two or more bones so that when the muscle contracts (shortens)

Our body structures are arranged into several different systems, each with its own specific function. The smallest units in the body are CELLS, which share certain

Vital Organs  The vital organs are those that a person needs to survive. A problem with any of these organs can quickly become life threatening.

The heart is a fist-sized, muscular organ that pumps blood through the body. Oxygen-poor blood enters the right atrium of the heart (via veins called

Our eyes are organs that let us see. Eyes detect both brightness and color. Having two eyes separated on our face enables us to have

Sound is collected by the pinna (the visible part of the ear) and directed through the outer ear canal. The sound makes the eardrum vibrate,

The human digestive system is a complex series of organs and glands that processes food. In order to use the food we eat, our body

THE FUNCTIONS OF THE BRAIN The human brain is a complex organ that allows us to think, move, feel, see, hear, taste, and smell. It