Name: __________________

Science 8: Cells and Systems

Topic 3.0: Healthy human function depends on a variety of interacting and
reacting systems.

3.1 The Digestive System

Living organisms require energy to survive. The digestive system processes energy from __________________,
________________ and _______________. The organs of the digestive system work together to break down
food into nutrients that are used by the body. The food matter that isn’t used by the body is expelled as waste.

There are two types of digestion:

● ________________ digestion - physical breakdown of food into small pieces
● ________________ digestion - breakdown of larger particles into smaller particles via enzymes

The digestive system is actually a long tube with a few attachments. It starts at the mouth and goes through
several organs before it finishes at the rectum.

These are the major organs of the digestive system and their functions:

Structure Diagram Function

Food enters the digestive system through the mouth.

Saliva in the mouth begins the process of ________________

breaking down food, while the teeth and tongue work together to
________________ break the food into smaller pieces.

This increases the surface area of the food.

The tongue also helps with swallowing.

As you swallow, the food passes over a flap of skin called the
________________ into the esophagus. The esophagus is a long
tube that connects the mouth to the stomach.

________________ is caused by contractions of smooth muscle

tissue that squeezes food down the esophagus

1
In the stomach, smooth muscle lining the walls of the stomach
________________ pulverizes the food.

Specialized cells in the stomach lining secrete gastric juices

composed of mucus, hydrochloric acid, water, and digestive
enzymes.

The acid and juices dissolve and break down the food chemically.
The mucus prevents the acid from digesting the stomach itself.

The pancreas, liver, and gallbladder all secrete digestive chemicals

into the first section of the small intestine to help digest the fats that
were not dissolved or digested in the stomach.

The pancreas secretes digestive ________________ that break

down starch and proteins.
It also releases ________________ such as insulin and glucagon.

The liver produces ________ which is stored in the gallbladder. The

bile breaks up lipids (fats).

The small intestine is where the last stages of digestion occur.

Digestive juices break all remaining usable food into its nutritional
parts. The nutrients enter the bloodstream through the walls of the
small intestine, and are sent throughout the body.

The inner surface of the intestine forms __________ - small finger-

like projections. The cells of the villi form microvilli to increase the
________________ to absorb even more nutrients.

The remaining matter and water enter the large intestine. In the
large intestine, ________________ is absorbed by the body leaving
behind a mass of waste, called a stool or feces.

The anus is the opening in the body where the stool is excreted.

2
 Digestive System Paper Doll
Cut out the organs and paste them onto the human in the correct location.

3.1 Review

3
1. Use what you have learned about the organs of the digestive system to give an example for each type of
digestion.

Mechanical digestion:

Chemical digestion:

Once digestion has occurred, the resulting nutrients need to be transported throughout the body. This
occurs in the small intestine:

2. Use what you have learned about diffusion to explain how nutrients move from the small intestine into
the red blood cells in the villi.

4
3. Label the digestive system below:

4. Which structure connects the mouth and the stomach?

5. In which structure does most of the absorption of nutrients occur?

5
6. Write a story in first person about some food making the journey through the digestive system.
Include the types of digestion that occur at each organ. Use something like the following prompt to
help you get started:

I used to be a slice of pizza - deluxe to be exact! Now I’m just stool swimming in the sewer system. It all
started when…

6
 3.2 The Respiratory System

The respiratory system is involved in the respiration life process.

Respiration is when cells use ________________ to make ________________. The organs of the respiratory
system work together to transport oxygen into the cells in the body, providing them with the energy they
need to function. The respiratory system also expels carbon dioxide as waste, another life process.

These are the major organs of the digestive system and their functions:

Structure Diagram Function

Air enters and exits the respiratory system through the

nose (or mouth).

The nose contains small __________ meant to keep

pollutants out of the airway.

The trachea is a long rigid tube that connects the nose to

the lungs. It’s often called the ________________.

The bronchi (meaning ________________) are tubes that

connect the lungs to the trachea. One bronchus enters
each lung.

The lungs are a spongy organ containing the structures

that carry out gas exchange with the blood.

7
 Inside the lungs, the bronchi split into further smaller
tubes called the bronchioles (little branches).

This increases the ___________________ available for gas

exchange.

The alveoli are the site of gas exchange between the lungs
and the blood.
They are located at the ends of the bronchioles and are
surrounded by tiny blood vessels called
________________.

The diaphragm is a thin ________________ that moves

down to allow air to enter the lungs or up to allow air to
move out of the lungs.

Breathing
Breathing is the ________________ and ________________ of gasses.
Breathing occurs with the help of your ribs and diaphragm muscles.

- When you inhale, the muscles contract, pull your ribs up, and your diaphragm down. This pulls air into
your lungs.

- When you exhale, the muscles relax, your ribs go down, and your diaphragm goes up. This decreases
the size of your chest and lungs and forces air out.

8
Gas Exchange

When air is inhaled it travels down the trachea and into the bronchi where it enters each of the lungs. The air
travels through the bronchioles and ends up in the alveoli. This is where gas exchange with the blood occurs:

Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide travel between the alveoli and capillaries via diffusion.

What is diffusion?

What is the concentration of oxygen in the blood when it reaches the lungs? What about when it leaves the
lungs?

What is the concentration of carbon dioxide in the blood? What about when it leaves the lungs?

Respiratory System Paper Doll

Cut out the organs and paste them onto the human in the correct location.
9
3.2 Review

1. Using the diagram below, label the parts of the respiratory system.

10
2. What is the main tube connecting the mouth to the lungs?

3. Which muscle plays a main role in breathing?

4. In which structures does gas exchange occur?

5. Why is the respiratory system important to humans? What are its functions?

3.3 The Circulatory System

The circulatory system is in charge of delivering oxygen and nutrients to each cell in your body, as well as
removing waste.
11
Structures of the Circulatory System

Structure Diagram Function

The heart is a muscular _____________ that acts as the primary

organ of the circulatory system. It pumps blood to the lungs to pick
up oxygen and then pumps the oxygenated blood to the rest of the
body.

Arteries are strong, flexible vessels that carry blood _____________

from the heart.

Veins are vessels that carry blood ________________ the heart.

Capillaries are the body’s ________________ vessels that carry

oxygenated blood from the arteries to the tissues of the body and
then carry deoxygenated blood back to the veins.
Capillaries are the site where materials are exchanged between the
blood and body cells.

Plasma is the ________________ part of the blood that blood cells,

nutrients and waste travel in throughout the body.

Red blood cells carry ________________ from the lungs to the rest
of the body and return carbon dioxide waste to the lungs.

The Heart

The heart is made of two pumps. The right side and the left side act as separate pumps with their own jobs.

Right side of the heart: pumps _____________________ blood to the lungs

Left side of the heart: receives ________________ blood from the lungs and pumps it to the rest of your body

12
Each side of the heart is divided into two chambers

- ________________: top two chambers of the heart

- ________________: bottom two chambers of the heart

Blood Vessels

Arteries: carry blood ________________ from the heart to the rest of the body

- Have a thick muscular layer in the middle that expands and contracts to push blood along

Veins: ________________ blood to the heart

- Thinner
- Have valves that stop the blood from flowing backwards

Capillaries: site of gas exchange

- Located between arteries and veins

- Made of specialized epithelial tissue that are only one cell layer thick
- Narrow so that blood cells pass through single file

13
Shade over the vessels with red and blue marker/pen to show which blood is oxygenated and which blood
is deoxygenated

Blood

55% plasma, 45% red and white blood cells

Red blood cells: ________________________________

- No nucleus so they have more room for oxygen

- Flexible to move and twist through capillaries

White blood cells: ________________________________

- Different shapes and sizes

Platelets: ________________________________________________

- Transports nutrients to your cells

- Carries away wastes such as carbon dioxide

14
 Label the Heart
Colour in the arrows red or blue depending on if the blood is oxygenated or deoxygenated

15
 How the Circulatory System Interacts With Other Body Systems

System How it interacts with the circulatory system

Digestive

Respiratory

3.3 Review

1. What structures connect the arteries and veins?

2. Which vessels transport blood away from the heart and have thick muscular walls?

3. Which vessels transport blood toward the heart and have valves?

16
4. Which part of the heart receives blood from the lungs?

5. Why is the circulatory system important to humans? What are the functions of this system?

6. Which structures are included in the circulatory system?

7. Why are capillaries small and thin?

8. How are capillaries and alveoli related?

17
 3.4 The Excretory System

Many of the wastes that the body produces are poisonous. They need to be removed from the body, or they
can cause serious harm. The excretory system is in charge of waste removal.

What are some of the wastes that the human needs to get rid of?

The Liver

The liver plays a role in digestion and excretion by filtering toxins out of
the blood.

It takes the ammonia out of the bloodstream and converts it into a less
harmful substance called ________________.
- The urea is then released into the bloodstream to be excreted.

The Kidneys

The kidneys are the main excretory organ. They act as ________________ and strain out unwanted urea,
water, and salts, and produce urine.

Every drop of blood is filtered 300 times a day by the kidneys.

180L of blood passes through the kidney, and produces 1.5L of
urine each day.

The amount of urine you produce also depends on how much

water you drink. If there is too much water in the body, they
excrete more water, and therefore more dilute urine.

18
Overall, the amount of water in the body should stay constant.

Structures of the Excretory System

Label the diagram below:

Urine Formation
1. The blood enters the kidney by the _____________________
2. The artery branches into smaller and smaller capillaries
3. The capillaries enter ________________
4. The nephrons filter the blood: removing wastes and producing urine
5. The “clean” filtered blood returns to the body through the renal vein
6. The urine flows out a separate vessel into the ureter
7. From the ureter, the urine travels to the ________________
19
 8. The bladder expands up until it has 1L of urine stored
9. When the bladder is full, the bladder muscles contract, and push the urine through the _____________

Structure of the Nephron

Skin
Sweating or perspiration is another method of excreting wastes from the body. The skin has thousands of
sweat glands just below the surface. Sweat glands keep you cool, and remove excess salt from the blood.

Disease
Urine can reveal how well the kidneys are functioning.
● If the kidneys are failing, there may be excess ________________ in the urine because the kidneys
cannot filter the blood properly.
● People with diabetes often have ________________ in their urine. Their cells cannot absorb glucose,
so it builds up in the bloodstream. Because the blood has so much glucose, the nephrons filter it out
and add it to the urine

People with kidney damage may undergo ________________. A dialysis machine filters the blood when a
kidney cannot. The blood flows through a special tube in the dialysis machine. The tubing is semipermeable, so

20
only certain substances can pass through. Wastes from the blood diffuse out of the tubing into surrounding
fluid, and the cleaned blood flows back into the person.

People with kidney failure may undergo dialysis for 4-6 hours three times a week.

3.4 Review

1. What is the function of the excretory system?

2. What is urea and how is it formed?

3. What is the function of the nephron?

4. If you drink more water on a certain day than usual, how would your body respond?

5. What systems does the excretory system overlap with?

6. Draw a nephron and label the flow of blood and urine

21
 3.5 The Nervous System

The nervous system is your response system. It monitors and responds to all types of ________________ in
the environment.

Stimuli can be a change in pressure, heat, cold, light, sound, or body chemistry. It can be external or internal.

Neurons
The nervous system is mostly made up of nervous tissue. Nervous tissue is made of specialized cells called
________________. Your brain, spinal cord, and nerves are made up of neurons.

A neuron receives messages from small branches called ________________. These messages are passed along
the cell body to the axon. The axon carries impulses away from the cell body to its ________________. These
branches transmit messages to the dendrites of other neurons.

Draw two neurons showing the pathway of a message:

22
Nervous System
The nervous system is divided into the:
● ________________ Nervous System (CNS)
○ Brain and spinal cord
● ________________ Nervous System (PNS)
○ Cranial and spinal nerves

Peripheral Nervous System

Each nerve in the PNS is composed of two types of neurons.
● ________________ neurons carry information from the body to the CNS
● ________________ neurons carry information from the CNS to the muscles and organs

The PNS is divided even further into the:

● ________________ nervous system
○ The somatic nervous system controls voluntary responses
○ Example: when you hear a noise, you can decide whether or not to look
● ________________ nervous system
○ The autonomic nervous system controls automatic responses
○ Example: blinking, breathing, digesting

Central Nervous System

The brain receives stimuli from the outside world by the sense organs
● Eyes
● Ears
● Mouth
● Nose
● Skin

The brain reacts to these stimuli and sends messages to the appropriate body parts.

23
The Brain is split into three main sections:
List what each part of the brain controls:
1. Cerebrum

2. Cerebellum

3. Medulla

Label the parts of the brain

24
The spinal cord connects the brain to the PNS and transmits information between the brain and the body. It
contains interneurons that connect one neuron to another

Reflexes
Sometimes, motor and sensory neurons may work together without the brain. This is a ________________.
A reflex is an ________________ response to an external stimulus.

For example: if you touch a hot stove, sensory nerves in your hand react to the stimulus by sending nerve
impulses to the spinal cord. Interneurons relay the message to the motor neurons. The impulse travels to the
muscles in your arm, which contract and remove your hand before you even “think” about it. By the time the
message gets to your brain, your hand is already off the stove.

Reflexes protect you by minimizing the danger!

Sense of Touch
The sense of touch is not in one specific place. It is found all over the skin. Fingertips are loaded with touch
receptors, and some other places have more receptors than other parts of the body.

3.5 Review

25
 1. List six stimuli that you encountered today. Which sense was responsible for experiencing them?

2. What is the role of the nervous system?

3. Describe the similarities and differences between the central nervous system and the peripheral
nervous system.

4. How does the structure of the neuron help it carry out its function?

5. The human body has many types of specialized cells. This means that the cells work or look a certain
way that makes them much better at doing their job. Use what you have learned so far to help you
match the letter beside each type of specialized cell with the descriptions of their jobs.

a. red blood cells

b. nerve cells

c. bone cells

d. skin cells

e. muscle cells

f. heart muscle cells

26
____ These cells send signals to the brain through long, finger-like fibres (strings) that reach from one cell to
the next.

____ Each of these cells pulses (squeezes and then relaxes). All of these cells pulsing together keeps the organ
beating.

____ These disc-shaped cells float in liquid and carry oxygen through really small vessels (tubes) from the
heart to the rest of the body.

____ These cells form thick, flexible (bendy) tissues that give us strength.

____ These cells work together to form solid structures in the skeletal system.

____ These cells work together to form a protective covering for the body and for organs inside the body.

27
Topic 4.0: Scientific Investigation Leads to New Knowledge About Body
Systems and New Medical Applications

4.1 Developing a Theory for Disease

The First Vaccine

In the 1600 and 1700s, many people died from smallpox. Victims broke out in a
rash, had chills, high fevers, nausea and muscle aches. 40% of the people infected
died - as early as 6 days after they got sick - and many of the survivors became
blind.

In the 1700s, _________________________ noticed something. Milkmaids who had

previously had cowpox, a much more mild form of smallpox, rarely got smallpox. He
concluded that having cowpox made them immune to smallpox, and he began
infecting people with cowpox on purpose. This was the creation of the world’s first
________________.

For the next 90 years, Jenner and other doctors and scientists tried to come up with another vaccine to
prevent diseases. But they kept failing because they didn’t know exactly what they were dealing with!

Louis Pasteur
French chemist, Louis Pastuer, was the first person to identify
“________.” He proved that germs were the cause of most diseases.
Pasteur proved that yeast is a living microorganism and not a chemical,
and it is these microorganisms that cause wine, beer, juice, and milk to go
bad. He created the process of ________________, the heating of food to
kill the microorganisms and prevent it from going bad.

Pasteur produced vaccines and cures for cholera, anthrax, swine

erysipelas, and rabies. His discoveries led to other major works in
medicines.

________________, an English surgeon, found that even after successful

operations, many of his patients would still die. He thought that this was
due to Pasteur’s “germs” entering the surgical wounds. He introduced the
practice of cleanliness and sterilization to medical procedures.
28
Nutritional Research
When early sailors went on voyages, the only foods they could take with them were ones that would not spoil
on the journey. They would eat salted beef, hard bread, dried peas, and cheese. After months at sea, many
sailors developed ________________. They became weak, had sores, bleeding gums, and loose teeth.

When ___________________________ crew arrived in Quebec in 1536, sickened from scurvy, the Iroquois
people boiled bark and leaves from an Anneda evergreen tree to treat the sick sailors. The tree became known
as the “________________” and became widely planted in Europe. However, scurvy was not eradicated. In
1747, a British surgeon James Lind treated sailors by feeding them oranges and lemons.

People didn’t find the actual source of scurvy for another century. It became a rule that sailors bring lemons,
oranges, and cabbage on their voyages; however if they didn’t eat it, they could still get sick. Many prisoners
in the 19th and 20th century would get scurvy from lack of nutrition.

In the early era of pasteurization, some babies would get scurvy due to the lack of vitamin C in pasteurized
milk. It wasn’t until 1932 that American researcher Charles King proved that scurvy was due to a lack of
ascorbic acid, or vitamin C.

By studying various diseases, researchers have determined that diet affects the human body. Canada’s Food
guide was developed to show you how much of certain foods you should eat on a regular basis. Over time it
has been adapted to better show people how to stay healthy.

Up to 2007

2019

4.2 Factors that Affect Health

There are many factors that affect the health of the cells, and therefore your body. These factors can include:
● Inherited diseases or conditions
● Sensitivity to environmental conditions such as smog, pollen, dut, or dairy
● How you respond to stress

29
 ● How you treat your body
○ Sleep, diet, exercise, smoking, drinking

Respiratory System Diseases

● ________________
○ a condition where the ________________ become temporarily narrowed. An asthma attack can
be triggered by colds, allergies, dust, cold air, pets, and pollution.
○ Asthma inhalers contain prednisone - a steroid that treats inflammation

● ________________
○ Cigarettes have over 4000 different chemicals in them. Tar, carbon
monoxide, and nicotine are the most destructive to the body
■ Tar is a dark, sticky substance. When inhaled, the tar settles on the
surface of the respiratory tract. This causes the cilia (hair-like
projections) on the trachea to clump up and can clog the airway

○ ________________
■ Occurs when mucus build up on the bronchi and causes them to narrow
■ Can restrict breathing

○ ________________
■ Smoke from cigarettes damages lung tissue. The tissue cannot function properly and
breathing becomes difficult
■ Emphysema is permanent

○ ________________ - Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder

■ Caused by chronic bronchitis or emphysema

○ ________________
■ Chemicals in cigarettes can lead to a formation of tumors in the lungs
■ The tumor takes up space and makes it hard to breath
■ Second most common form of cancer, makes up 25% of cancer deaths

● ________________
○ Vaping can lead to “______________________”
○ Narrowing of the bronchioles leads to wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing

● ________________
○ Infectious cells invade the lungs and attack cells that protect the trachea
○ The lungs can become flooded with fluid and debris
30
 ○ Can lead to pneumonia, shortness of breath, acute respiratory distress syndrome

Circulatory Diseases
● ______________________
○ Buildup of cholesterol in the arteries
○ As the arteries narrow, the heart has to pump blood harder to move blood through them
○ If the arteries are too blocked, the heart muscle cannot get enough oxygen, and may lead to a
heart attack

● ______________________
○ Heart cells begin to die due to a lack of oxygen

● ___________________________
○ Carbon Monoxide is a colourless, odourless gas that bonds to red blood cells in the place of
oxygen. This means that less oxygen is getting to the cells, and can be fatal
○ Called the “silent killer”

Digestive Diseases
● _________________
○ Sores in the stomach lining caused by bacteria
○ The bacteria breaks down the mucus layer in the stomach wall
○ Can be treated by antibiotics

How can you help your body?

Physical Health Nutrition Mental Health

4.0 Review

1. Give an example of research involving the study of functional or dysfunctional body systems.

31
2. What are three diseases caused by smoking?

3. What is atherosclerosis?

4. What is a stomach ulcer and what causes it?

5. Identify and describe two environmental factors that can affect the health of your cells, organs, or
body systems.

6. Name three people whose research led to our early understanding of diseases and how they can be
prevented. What did each of those individuals discover?

32
7. What is pasteurization? Describe a food that has to be pasteurized.

8. Why is it important to know how nutrition affects human health?

9. Describe three chemicals found in cigarettes and explain their effect on the human body.

33