Human Body Bits

HUMAN BODY BITS

Which body bit matters most? I'm a cell. I may look simple- but even the most complicated bits of your body are made up of cells like me. In total you are made of about 37 trillion cells. 37,000,000,000,000 Different kinds of cell make up... ...your bones Without bones, you'd just be a blob of human on the floor. I wish people wouldn't walk all over me. ...your skin You definitely need skin. It keeps your insides inside you. Hey, you dropped your insides all over my new clean floor! ...your brain Without a brain, you wouldn't be able to do ANYTHING. Although, being able to do things and having a brain sometimes don't seem to go together! ...and every other body bit Some body bits are more important than others- but which is MOST important? Let's ask some body bits and see what they say. I'm the most important. I think you'll find it's me Oh dear, I don't think so Surely, it's me? No, No, NO!

Brain Mission control PAY ATTENTION! I'm in charge here. And this OBVIOUSLY makes me the most important. People say I'm bossy- but without me the others wouldn't know what to do. Just look at all the jobs I do... My important bits are cells called neurons. They do the thinking. Do you think people could survive without us neurons? Don't even think about it. Different parts of the brain do different things. Your brain helps you sense pain. Your brain helps sense the world around you- for example, through touching, seeing, smelling and hearing. I'm never going to open my brother's sock drawer again! Do you always dance like this? It's all my brain's doing! Your brain stores memories and works out challenges. Your brain helps you move (and dance), speak, breathe and eat.

Eyes, ears and nose Sense organs Brain might THINK it's important- but where does Brain get its information? Us, that's where! Without us, you wouldn't know what was going on around you. Just think about all the things I do for you. I help you read this book, see tiny things close up and big things like that cow a long way away. I also warn you when something dangerous is coming. Ok, eyes are important. But ears do things that eyes can't. Ears let you hear what people are saying, listen to music, and warn you of danger even when you cannot see it. I don't want to stick my nose in, but... what about me? I tell you when food is good and air is clean. I even warn you about trouble ahead...

Nervous system Sending messages How do all those show-off sense organs think their messages get to the brain? It's through me, your nervous system! Just look at what happens when you stub your toe... Here's what happened... Special cells in your toe, called pain receptors, turn on. The pain receptor releases a message. It passes along a nerve and up your spine. Fractions of a second later... Aargh!

Mouth The body's gateway I'm the gateway into your body for three things that keep you alive: air, water and food. Mouth forgets that I help you to bring in air too! Air is pulled into your mouth. Food and water go into your body through your mouth. Without me, most food would be impossible even to swallow. 1 First, the sharp teeth at the front bite off small chunks of food. 2 Next, the wide, flat teeth at the sides smash the food into a gloopy mess. While they do this, I release a slippery liquid called saliva. 3 The food mixes with the saliva and is ready to swallow. Getting air, food and drink into your body are pretty important jobs- aren't they?