3.

11 Interactions of Systems
All cells have to perform the same basic activities to stay alive: they use
energy and materials from the environment, store materials, get rid of wastes,
move substances to where they are needed, grow, and reproduce. Similarly,
most living things have to perform similar basic functions: they obtain food,
transport necessary substances (such as food, other nutrients, and oxygen) to
the cells, remove unwanted substances from the cells, grow, and reproduce.
Very simple animals can perform these functions with fairly simple
arrangements of cells and tissues. Larger, more complex animals, however,
need organ systems like the ones you have learned about in this chapter. Even
these organ systems do not work independently. They interact with each
other to allow the animal to carry out all the processes necessary for life.
In this chapter you have looked at five organ systems in detail: the
digestive system, the circulatory system, the respiratory system, the
musculoskeletal system, and the nervous system. Other organ systems
include the urinary system, the reproductive system, the integumentary
system, and the endocrine system. How do all these systems interact?
To find out more about other organ Obviously it is a very complicated arrangement. Medical professionals
systems, and researchers around the world are still trying to puzzle out some of the
GO TO NELSON SCIENCE details. We can, however, consider some of the system interactions within
a simplified version of an organism (Figure 1).
oxygen and nutrients pass from
circulatory system into body body tissues
tissues; carbon dioxide and (including
oxygen passes from air
wastes pass from body tissues musculoskeletal
into circulatory system; wastes from body
into circulatory system and nervous systems)
carbon dioxide passes processes pass from
from circulatory circulatory system
system into air into urinary system

respiratory liquid waste

system products

circulatory
system

heart urinary system

food

solid waste
mouth products

Figure 1 A schematic diagram

digestive
of an organism, showing the
system nutrients pass from food in digestive
respiratory system, circulatory
system, body tissues, urinary system into circulatory system
system, and digestive system

108 Chapter 3 • Animal Systems NEL

 Let’s look at some points of interaction between these systems. Consider
the digestive system and the circulatory system. The digestive system breaks
down food into small molecules that can pass through the walls of the
digestive tract. Without a circulatory system, only the tissues right next to
the digestive tract would receive nutrients. The circulatory system provides
a way to transport nutrients to all tissues in the organism. Thousands of
capillaries surround the digestive tract, carrying blood that absorbs the
nutrients (Figure 2). Materials move from a region of higher concentration
to a region of lower concentration by diffusion. The circulatory system
continuously delivers low-nutrient blood to the capillaries surrounding
the digestive system, and carries away blood that now contains a high
concentration of nutrients. This nutrient-rich blood then enters larger blood
vessels and travels to every part of the body, where nutrients diffuse from
the blood into the cells.

Figure 2 The digestive tract is surrounded by blood vessels. The blood absorbs nutrients for
delivery around the body.

The musculoskeletal system—particularly the skeletal muscle tissue—

uses oxygen and nutrients to make the body move. Every time a muscle
contracts, its rate of cellular respiration increases. To fuel this active system,
the circulatory system must deliver a constant supply of oxygen and
nutrients. In addition, it must remove waste products such as carbon dioxide
and, during strenuous exercise, lactic acid. These wastes enter the blood by
diffusion through capillary walls and are carried away for “disposal.” Carbon
dioxide, as you know, passes into the lungs and leaves the body through the
respiratory system. The liver—an accessory organ to the digestive system—
removes lactic acid from the blood.
How are other waste products of cell activity removed from the body?
Not surprisingly, the circulatory system is involved. The blood collects waste
products as it travels through all the body’s tissues. In particular, it collects
nitrogen-containing waste products of protein breakdown. As the blood
travels through the kidneys (part of the urinary system), the unwanted and
toxic substances are removed (Figure 3). These substances, dissolved in
Figure 3 Each kidney processes almost
water, drain into the bladder for temporary storage. The mixed solution is 100 L of blood each day, producing
called urine, and is periodically excreted from the body. approximately 1 L of urine.

NEL 3.11 Interactions of Systems 109

 Other Interactions Between Systems
The examples discussed above apply to humans and other mammals, and
most vertebrates. Some animals, depending on their environment and needs,
have developed interesting alternatives to the familiar organ systems. For
instance, a jellyfish does not have a circulatory system. Its digestive system
extends into the animal’s fluid-filled body cavity and exchanges nutrients
directly with this fluid. The animal has so few cells, and such a small demand
for food, that this arrangement is adequate to distribute nutrients. Even
animals that have familiar digestive tracts may have developed interesting
Figure 4 A chameleon’s tongue can adaptations to acquire food. Two examples of muscular adaptations are the
stretch out to be longer than its body. elephant’s trunk and the chameleon’s tongue (Figure 4).
The tongue is sticky at the end to catch
insects. The integumentary (skin) system and muscles interact to provide
information to the nervous system. There are sensors in our skin that detect
temperature, pressure, pain, and so on. The ears of many mammals are
mobile—thanks to muscles—so they can be directed toward a sound
DID YOU KNOW? (Figure 5). The shape of the ears amplifies the sound, increasing the amount
Tapeworms: Just the Essentials
of information that the nervous system can collect. Similarly, the eyes of
Because of where they live—inside many animals include muscles that control the amount of light entering the
the digestive systems of vertebrate eye, improving vision at a variety of light levels.
animals—tapeworms do not need to In birds the musculoskeletal system and the integumentary (skin) system
find, capture, and digest food. They do
interact to make flight possible. Specialized flight feathers grow from the
not need to protect themselves from
predators or worry about the weather. skin, but they would be useless without the bird’s light, hollow bones, and
Tapeworms have almost no organs powerful flight muscles (Figure 6).
or organ systems. They do not need Respiratory systems are quite different in air-breathing animals than in
these structures; they can just absorb aquatic animals that get their oxygen from the water. Recall from Section 3.6
food that has been digested for them!
that fish have gills that are richly supplied with blood. Oxygen and carbon
Tapeworms are really little more than
a reproductive system. Most other dioxide diffuse between the blood and water that constantly flows over the
functions are performed for them by gills. The circulatory system then carries oxygenated blood around the body.
their host. Amphibians such as newts and frogs have lungs, but can also exchange gases
through their thin skin when moist (Figure 7). In effect, the entire surface of
the body becomes part of the respiratory system.
Different groups of animals have different ways of excreting cellular
wastes. Freshwater fish carry nitrogen compounds (from protein
breakdown) in the blood until it reaches the gills. The compounds then
diffuse through the gills into the water. Thus, the fish’s respiratory system
serves double duty as an excretory system, aided by the circulatory system.

Figure 5 A jackrabbit has very large Figure 6 Most of the surface of the Figure 7 This young Eastern newt
ears so that it can hear and avoid wing is made up of feathers—part of obtains oxygen through its skin.
predators. the integumentary system—not bone
and muscle.

110 Chapter 3 • Animal Systems NEL

 There are many ways in which organ systems interact. For example, the
urinary system and the reproductive system are very closely connected in
mammals—particularly in males. The nervous system works very closely
with the endocrine system. Each organ system interacts with at least one
other organ system. It is through the interaction and coordination of organ
systems that complex organisms can carry out all life functions to survive.

RESEARCH THIS SYSTEMS WORKING TOGETHER

SKILLS: Researching, Communicating SKILLS HANDBOOK
4.A., 4.B.
In this activity you will research how a specific animal performs A. Create a concept map or any other graphic organizer
an essential function: providing its cells with nutrients. For to communicate what you have discovered. Be sure to
example, you might consider how a cat hunts, eats, and digests clearly indicate the interactions between the various organ
(Figure 8). systems. C A
1. Choose an animal to investigate. It can be as familiar or as
unusual as you like.
2. Research how your animal performs this function. Pay
particular attention to which parts of the body are involved,
and to which organ systems these parts belong.
GO TO NELSON SCIENCE

UNIT TASK Bookmark

Consider the interactions among organ systems as you are preparing to complete the
Unit Task on page 156.

IN SUMMARY
• Organ systems work together to accomplish • Animals have different ways of meeting their
specific functions. needs so organ systems vary greatly. Not all
• All organ systems in the body interact with at animals have all organ systems.
least one other organ system. • In complex animals, the circulatory system
connects all other systems in the body.

CHECK YOUR LEARNING

1. List at least three interactions of organ systems within the 5. Frogs and ducks have webbed feet. How does this illustrate
bodies of mammals. K/U the interactions of systems? A
2. (a) Which organ system interacts with most other systems 6. Briefly describe one interaction (not necessarily in humans)
in the body? between the nervous system and K/U A
(b) Explain why it is advantageous for the system named (a) the integumentary (skin) system.
in (a) to be integrated with so many other systems. K/U (b) the musculoskeletal system.
3. What two systems do amphibians use for gas (c) the respiratory system.
exchange? K/U
(d) the urinary system.
4. How is it possible for an animal like a tapeworm to live
without having a digestive system? K/U

NEL 3.11 Interactions of Systems 111