EARTH AND LIFE SCIENCE 11

LESSON 1: ORGAN SYSTEMS OF REPRESENTATIVE ANIMALS

Objectives:
1. identify the different organ systems of representative animals.
2. describe the characteristics of different organ systems of representative animals.
What happens when organisms become more complex? How do organisms built of billions,
or even trillions of cells get the raw materials needed to each and every cell? The answer is
body systems. Large, complex organisms need many levels of organization to ensure all cells
get what they need to perform life functions.
The body of an animal is like a well- organized machine capable of performing different
task. The ability of the body to do all the things it can do is due to the special structures both
inside and outside that work together in an orderly manner.
What’s In
Animals are arguably the most complex organism on this planet. The body is made up
of many, many millions of cells which you cannot see unless you use a microscope. Special
cells come together to make an organ.

An organ is a complex structure within the body. It has a special job or jobs to do. The
body system is a group of parts that work together to serve a common purpose. Each
individual body system works in conjunction with other body system. It relies on the other
systems to work well to maintain internal stability and balance, otherwise known as
homeostasis.
What is it
The human body and even the simplest animal is made up of several organ systems
that work as one unit. The major organ systems of the body work together, either directly or
indirectly, to keep the body functioning normally. The body is a chemical and physical
machine. As such, it is subject to certain laws. These are sometimes called natural laws. Each
part of the body is engineered to do a particular function necessary for everyday living.
The Animal Organ Systems
1. Digestive System
Animal nutrition is the process of taking in, taking apart and taking up the nutrients
from the food source. Food processing has four main stages: Ingestion, Digestion, Absorption,
and Elimination or Egestion.
In animals with complete digestive system, where the entrance and exit of food and
waste are different, they have different kind of mechanisms of ingestion depending on their
evolutionary adaptation to their food.
In other animals like cnidarians (jellyfish, anemone, coral) where the entrance and exit
of food and waste is the same, the region where this occurs is called the gastrovascular cavity.
2. Respiratory System
The respiratory system facilitates breathing. In the alveoli tissue of the lungs, the
exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide molecules between the air and the bloodstream
occurs by passive transport, so that the oxygen is taken in and carbon dioxide and water are
removed. Gas exchange is very important to animals, as they require oxygen in the
production of higher amount of energy compared to process of production of energy without
oxygen.
Air as a respiratory medium- As air is lighter and has more oxygen content
compared to the same volume of water; ventilation is not much of a problem of terrestrial
organisms.
The tracheal system of insects- It has a branched network of tracheal tube which
responds to the problem of decreased surface area in the respiratory structure.
The tracheal system opens externally through the side of the insect through a
structure called a spiracle. Air enters and exit through the spiracles. As the respiratory system
of insects are independent from their circulatory system, gases are directly exchanged
through tracheoles which have extensions that are directly connected to the cells. Air sacs act
like aspirator which takes in and push out air out of the body of the insects.
The mammalian respiratory system- Compared to insects, mammals and other
organisms have respiratory system that work together with their circulatory system. Gases
are transported via bloodstream and are exchanged via diffusion.

3. Circulatory System
There are different ways in which animals transport substances across their body. In
animals with closed circulatory system, the circulatory fluid does not go out of the vessel.
Exchange occurs through diffusion via thinner vessels called capillaries across the interstitial
fluid.
Different animals have adapted different mechanisms in transport such as in fishes
where a single circulation is enough. Compared to cnidarians, the gastrovascular cavity of
flatworms have extensions in order to reach areas of the body far from the axis. Without these
extensions of the gastrovascular cavity, diffusion might not be enough in the transport of
substances.
Amphibian double circulation differs from mammalian, crocodilian and avian as blood is
mixed. The presence of one ventricle does not prevent the mixing of blood, unlike in the four-
chambered heart of a mammal, crocodilian and an avian where the ventricle is divided into
two. Mixing of blood does not have major implication on amphibians as:
1) They have low metabolic rate, thus, less need for energy.
2) They have the ability to respire through their skin, thus not needing to fully oxygenate the
blood through the lungs.

4. Urinary System
In order to remove wastes, animals have the excretory system, which enables it to
remove excess salt or water in the body. Waste removal follows the following processes, 1.)
Filtration- the mass movement of water and solutes from plasma to the renal tubule that
occurs in the renal corpuscles. 2.) Reabsorption- the movement of water and solutes from
tubule back into the plasma. 3.) Secretion- the continuous secretion of additional substances
into the tubular fluid, and 4.) Excretion- it is what goes to the urine.
Organisms have different wastes in the form of nitrogenous wastes which they need to
excrete. Different organisms have different excretory systems, such as the protonephridia of
flatworms where a network of dead-end tubules lacking internal openings, metanephridia of
annelids which consist of ciliated funnel opening into the body cavity connected to a duct
which may be variously glandularised, folded or expanded and which typically opens to the
organisms exterior, Malpighian tubules of insects, any of the excretory organs that lie in the
abdominal body cavity and empty into the junction between midgut and hindgut and the
nephrons of humans and mammals which actually removing waste and excess substances
from the blood through urination.

5. Immune System
The immune system is a complex network of cells and protein that defends the body
against infection. It defends the internal environment from invading microorganisms
and viruses, as well as cancerous cell growth. The immune system provides cells that
aid in protection of the body from disease via antigen/antibody response. A variety of
general responses are also part of this system.

6. Endocrine System
The integral parts of the endocrine system include the hypothalamus, pituitary gland,
pineal body, thyroid and parathyroid gland, thymus, adrenal glands, pancreas and ovary that
make hormones. Hormones are substances which can cause a reaction to a cell, in Greek it
literally means to excite. It is secreted into extracellular fluid such in blood or lymph and
transported to target cells to elicit a specific response, which can be rapid or slow. The growth
and development of the body are examples of slow and long- term effect of a hormone while
circadian rhythm which is responsible for the sleep and-wake cycles respond to a more rapid
response to a hormone. In an endocrine pathway, the reaction involves an endocrine cell,
which releases the hormone to the bloodstream or the lymphatic system, which can attach to
receptors of a target cell.
7. Nervous System
The central nervous system is composed of the brain and spinal cord, while the
peripheral nervous system is composed of corresponding structures outside of these two
organs of the nervous system. The central nervous system is responsible for data/information
processing which is gathered by the peripheral nervous system. Upon processing, the CNS
transmit the message again to the PNS, which then convey the message for the appropriate
response.
The nervous system has evolved in increasing complexity throughout the different
groups of animals. Connections among the neurons has increased, as seen in the
development of the nervous system from a simple nerve net to a system with ganglia (group
of neurons) to encephalized organisms where concentration of neurons are centered in a
head. Below shows the changes in the nervous system of organisms:
8. Muscular System
The muscular system is an organ system consisting of skeletal muscles which are
composed of muscle cells called the muscle fiber, the cardiac muscle or the heart muscle with
involuntary kind of movement, and the smooth muscle which is controlled directly by the
autonomic nervous system. The skeletal muscle is organized from its largest structure (the
muscle tissue itself) to its functional unit (the sarcomere) as a repeating longitudinal structure
that is bound together. Contraction is possible because of the structural organization of
protein molecules that makes up the sarcomere. When contraction occurs, the sarcomere
shortens, and this is reflected in the contraction of a muscle (tell the students to flex their
biceps and ask them if their muscle shortened). In terms of the molecular and physiological
process of contraction, nerve impulse transmission is needed to depolarize the cell membrane
of the muscle to stimulate contraction.
9. Skeletal System
It provides support and protection, and attachment points for muscles. The skeletal
system provides rigid framework for movement. It supports and protects the body and its
parts, produces blood cells, and stores minerals.
A clam’s shell is an example of an exoskeleton and the bones and cartilage in a human
is an example of an endoskeleton. An endoskeleton should not be misconceived to be only
made up of bones, as even in humans, our skeletons are made up of cartilage and bones,
while shark’s endoskeleton is made up of cartilage. We have different bones which our
muscles can pull to create movement, and the different types of joints are responsible for
different movement that our body can create.

Body Systems Work Together

You know that your body is made of cells. When groups of cells do the same kind of
work, they are called tissues. The word tissue comes from a Latin word meaning to "weave."
Cells that make up tissues are sometimes "woven" together.
You have four main types of tissues: epithelial, nervous, muscle, and connective tissue.
Epithelial tissue covers the outside of the body. It also lines organs and cavities. Nervous
tissue sends electrical signals. Muscle tissue helps you move. Connective tissue joins bones
and cushions organs.
When groups of tissues work together, they are called organs. Some examples of
organs are the heart, lungs, skin, and stomach. When organs work together, they are called
systems. For example, your heart, lungs, blood, and blood vessels work together. They make
up the circulatory system.
We have various systems in our body: muscular system, respiratory system, digestive
system, skeletal system, circulatory system, immune system, endocrine system, nervous
system and urinary system. Each system has a special job.
Activity 1:
Direction: Group the words where they belong. Write this in a 1 whole sheet of paper.

Activity 2:
Fill in the chart with purpose of the Human Body System. (NOTE: e sumpay lang nis activity 1)

LESSON 2: FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS OF THE DIFFERENT ORGAN

SYSTEMS IN ENSURING ANIMAL SURVIVAL

Objectives:
1. Identify the different function organ system of the representative animal; and
2. Explain the functional relationships of the different function organ system in ensuring
animal survival.

What’s In
What is it
Each Body System Works with the Others
Each individual body system works in conjunction with other body systems. The
circulatory system is a good example of how body systems interact with each other. The heart
pumps blood through a complex network of blood vessels. When the blood circulates through
the digestive system, for example, it picks up nutrients the body absorbed from the last meal.
The blood also carries oxygen inhaled by the lungs. The circulatory system delivers oxygen
and nutrients to the other cells of the body then picks up any waste products created by these
cells, including carbon dioxide, and delivers these waste products to the kidneys and lungs for
disposal.
Meanwhile, the circulatory system carries hormones from the endocrine system, and
the immune system’s white blood cells that fight off infection.

Each of the body systems relies on the others

to work well. The respiratory system relies on the
circulatory system to deliver the oxygen it gathers,
while the muscles of the heart cannot function without
the oxygen they receive from the lungs. The bones of
the skull and spine protect the brain and spinal cord,
but the brain regulates the position of the bones by
controlling the muscles. The circulatory system
provides the brain with a constant supply of oxygen-
rich blood while the brain regulates the heart rate and
blood pressure.
Even seemingly unrelated body systems are
connected. The skeletal system relies on the urinary
system to remove waste produced by bone cells; in
return, the bones of the skeleton create structure that
protects the bladder and other urinary system organs.
The circulatory system delivers oxygen-rich blood to
the bones. Meanwhile, the bones are busy making
new blood cells. Working together, these systems maintain internal stability and balance,
otherwise known as homeostasis.
Each organ system interacts with at least one other organ system. Organ systems do not work
independently; organ systems interact with each other to keep the organism functioning. The
systems of the body are interdependent. The job that one system carries out depends on and
influence jobs carried out by other systems.
Activity 3:
Complete the table below by listing the body systems that interact together for each scenario
described.