Parts of the Human Body (Meaning and Explanation)

We explain what the parts of the human body are and what the characteristics of the head, trunk and limbs are.

human body parts — The different parts of the human body operate simultaneously and interrelated.

What are the parts of the human body?

The human body is something that we often take for granted, since we have had it since we were born, and sometimes we do not recognize the wonderful complexity of its structure. In fact, The human body houses different organ and tissue systems that operate simultaneously and interrelatedly to sustain life as we know it.

These body systems are several and very different, and are distributed more or less symmetrically in the body. That is why an anatomical study of the human body, that is, a study of its shape and structure, to classify its different parts and organize them in a logical way, must initially recognize its three fundamental segments: the head, the trunk and the extremities.

These three fundamental portions are very important, each in its own way and in its proper measure, and include the organs and tissues necessary to, in a coordinated manner, perform the different functions of which our body is capable. Let's look at each one separately below.

Head

The head is the fundamental segment of our body, not only from a physiological point of view, but also from a social point of view.

It contains the governing organ of the entire body, the brain which would be the computing and operations center that regulates both conscious and unconscious life. Furthermore, there are located four of our five senses: sight, hearing, taste and smell with direct nerve channels to the brain.

Therefore, in the head we can identify with the naked eye:

The eyes, in charge of vision. They cover the eyelids, where the eyelashes are, and above them the eyebrows.
The ears and ears, responsible for hearing.
The mouth, responsible for taste and speech, and the main route of entry of organic matter into our body. The lips cover it.
The nose, responsible for smell and air entry during breathing.
The cheeks, chin and forehead.

Trunk

human body parts torso — Inside the trunk there is an immensity of organs, tissues and ducts.

The intermediate segment of the body, to which the head is connected through the neck, is called the trunk: The rest of our internal organs are contained and distributed in it and it is the place where the limbs attach.

It is composed, in turn, of two distinguishable parts:

The thorax or torso the upper region near the neck.
The abdomen the lower region near the genitals.

Both portions are separated by the diaphragm, one of the main muscles of the body.

What is perceived at first glance about the trunk may not seem like much compared to everything it contains: from top to bottom we can see the neck, the chest (and the female breasts), the belly (where the navel is, the rest of the umbilical cord) and the belly, at the end of which are the external genitalia: the male penis and testicles, and the female vulva. Seen from behind, we will barely have the back and the tailbone.

On the other hand, an internal look at the trunk will reveal an immensity of organs, tissues and ducts, the most important of which, from top to bottom, are the following:

The trachea and esophagus ducts that run through the neck and come from the head to their respective internal organs, transporting air and food respectively.
the heart located in the left sector of the chest, a very robust muscle of continuous activity, responsible for pumping blood throughout the circulatory system.
the lungs one on each side, which are large sacs for air entry into the body, where oxygen is extracted to enter the blood.
the stomach an organ responsible for secreting acids to break down food into its fundamental nutrients, which will be absorbed later.
the liver the organ responsible for filtering blood and manufacturing substances essential for digestion.
the intestine the organ where digestion takes place. It is a very long duct that links the stomach and the opening of the anus, along which an infinite number of specialized villi absorb the substances we need to nourish ourselves from the organic matter, leaving only the useless matter for later disposal in the form of feces. Finally, the intestine is divided into two: small intestine and large intestine.
The kidneys responsible for receiving the main waste material of the metabolism, which is ammonia and other similar compounds, with which urine is produced to expel them from the body, since if they accumulate inside it it would be fatal.
The bladder a type of sac in which the urine produced by the kidneys will accumulate, and then be discarded through a specialized duct that culminates in the urethra.
In the case of women, there are also the internal genitalia: the ovaries in which numerous hormones are produced and the eggs, female sex cells; the fallopian tubes through which these eggs descend to the uterus, which is the place where they wait to be fertilized during reproduction. The posterior region of this last organ, the vagina, which serves to allow the penis to enter during reproduction.
In the case of men, there are no internal genitalia but there is an organ responsible for producing substances necessary for reproduction, which is the prostate.
The spine a long tower of bones that runs along the back and connects the nape of the neck to the end of the back. Inside them flows the spinal cord, a very delicate nervous tissue that governs the functions of the extremities and the muscles of the torso.
Protecting most of the organs of the torso is a set of bones known as the ribs as well as the sternum and others that serve as the axis of the skeleton.

You may be interested: Human Body Tissues

Extremities

human body parts limbs — The limbs are distributed symmetrically on the sides of the trunk.

Finally, the extremities are the extensions of the body that allow movement and conscious activity. They are distributed symmetrically on the sides of the trunk, and can be differentiated into two categories:

The upper extremities which are the arms, located below the shoulders, and composed of arms, forearms and hands, and in the latter, the fingers: five in each, around a central area called the palm.
The lower extremities which are the legs, located on the sides of the belly and joined to the hip, composed of the buttocks, thighs, calves and feet, at the end of which there are, again, five fingers on each one, around an elongated central area known as the plant.

Continue with: Anthropometry