Understanding the Human Body

Quebec publishers

With 6 trillion cells, 206 bones, and 600 muscles, the human body is an amazing living mechanism that is in intense and constant activity.

For all curious readers, the Knowledge Guides open the door to a world of complex and captivating phenomena.

Accurate, detailed visual information is all defined in lay language to make it readily accessible to the non-expert. Definitions to scientific terms are given either in the explanation itself, or in the comprehensive glossary.

Table of contents
Understanding the Human Body	1
Table of Contents	5
The body’s building blocks	8
The human cell	9
Chromosomes and DNA	11
Cellular activity	13
Body tissues	15
The architecture of the body	18
The skin	19
Bone structure	21
Bone growth	23
The human skeleton	25
Types of bones	27
The head	28
The spine	29
The hand and the foot	31
The joints	33
The skeletal muscles	35
Muscle tissue	37
The muscles of the head	39
The action of the skeletal muscles	41
The movements of the hand	42
The nervous system	44
Neurons	45
The central nervous system	47
The brain	49
The cerebrum	51
The peripheral nervous system	53
The motor functions of the nervous system	55
The five senses	58
Touch	59
The eye	61
Sight	63
The organ of hearing	65
Perception of sound	67
Balance	68
Taste	69
Taste receptors	71
Smell	73
Blood circulation	76
Blood	77
The cardiovascular system	79
Arteries and veins	81
The heart	83
The cardiac cycle	85
The lymphatic system	87
Immunity	89
The endocrine system	91
The hypothalamusand the pituitary gland	93
The urinary system	95
Respiration and nutrition	98
The respiratory system	99
Respiration	101
Speech	103
The digestive system	105
The teeth	107
The stomach	109
The intestines	110
The liver, pancreas, and gallbladder	111
Reproduction	114
The male genital organs	115
The female genital organs	117
Fertilization	119
The life of the embryo	121
Maternity	123
Glossary	125
Index	127