Specialized Structures in Organisms Mr. Harpers science mini lesson with audio

specialized (SPEH shul eyezd) made for a special job or set of conditions Important science vocabulary

specialized Polar bears are specialized for living where it is very cold.

specialized Some monkeys have tails that are specialized to help them climb trees.

specialized This truck is specialized for waste removal.

specialized (SPEH shul eyezd) A dentist is specialized for taking care of teeth.

structure (STRUK chur) anything composed of parts arranged together in some way Important science vocabulary

structure A house is a structure where people can live.

structure A giraffes long neck is a structure that helps it reach food.

structure Roads are man-made structures that help us get where we want to go.

Blood vessels are tube-like structures that carry blood through the body. structure

bones blood vessels muscles Your hand is a structure. It is made of parts arranged together. skin nails nerves

system (SIS tum) a group of parts or structures organized to perform a function Important science vocabulary

system All roads and streets are connected to form a transportation system.

system This is a map of our national transportation system.

system The circulatory system transports blood to every part of the body.

system The parts in a system all work together. The blood vessels in your body are a transportation system for your blood.

system The digestive system processes our food to give us energy to live. The organs in this system all work together to do an important function.

function (FUNK shun) The job or purpose for which something is designed Important science vocabulary

function The function of a garbage truck is picking up trash.

function The function of a toothbrush is to keep your teeth clean and healthy.

function (FUNK shun) The hearts function is to pump blood through your blood vessels.

function The function of blood vessels is to transport blood to every part of your body.

organism (OR gun iz um) a living thing; any plant or animal Important science vocabulary

An organism may be large or small. bacteria whale shark Its too small to see

All organisms are made of tiny living units called cells. Different body parts are made from different types of cells.

Some organisms are only one cell.

You need a powerful microscope to see a single-celled organism.

Larger, more complex organisms are multi-celled organisms. They are usually big enough to see without a microscope.

But no matter how big or how small it is, every organism and every cell must have 4 things in order to stay alive.

Every living cell must have energy water gases waste removal (air with oxygen or CO2) (food or sunlight)

Its easy for single-celled organisms to get these 4 things, because they are all around them in the air or water.

But the cells deep inside a multi-celled organism are surrounded by other cells. How can those the cells get the things they need to live?

Multi-celled plants and animals need specialized structures to transport the materials needed for life to every cell.

Blood vessels are the specialized structures that transport the 4 things that your bodys cells need.

Blood vessels branch smaller and smaller until they can touch every cell in your body.

The very smallest blood vessels are called capillaries.

Capillaries are tiny. Their walls are thin enough to allow water, sugar, oxygen and waste to pass easily between cells and the blood.

The blood in your capillaries brings your cells everything they need. Blood also carries away the poisonous wastes.

Every cell in your body must be very close to a capillary (tiny blood vessel) so it can get the energy, water, gases and waste removal it needs to stay alive.

Every multi-celled organism has a system of tubes to transport materials to every cell.

Plants have a system of tubes

Plant tubes carry water and sap.

Animal tubes are called blood vessels, because they carry blood.

Blood i s how your cells get the 4 things they need to live. Energy water gases waste removal

Your blood brings your cells the 4 things they need to live. energy water oxygen waste removal

Every cell in your body has a tiny blood vessel right next to it that brings energy, water, and oxygen. They also take away waste.

But …..how do those life giving materials get into the blood?

We eat food to get energy into our bodies.

The digestive system breaks food into chemicals that can travel through blood vessels to every cell in your body.

The blood is mostly made of water so your cells can always get the water they need.

We get oxygen into our bodies through our lungs when we breathe.

All blood goes through the lungs where it fills up with oxygen. Blood transports oxygen to every cell in your body.

Every organism and every cell must get rid of waste to be healthy and stay alive.

But cells deep inside your body cant go sit on the toilet. How do those cells get rid of waste?

Cells put their waste right into the blood.

Blood carries cellular waste away from cells to the kidneys.

Cellular waste travels in the blood until it gets to the kidneys where it is removed and sent out of the body as urine. bladder

Kidneys are the specialized structures that remove cellular waste from your blood. They are part of a system of organs that take the waste out of your body.

Lungs are specialized structures. Their function is to bring oxygen into your blood. Lungs are part of the respiratory system that brings air in and out of your body.

Your heart is a specialized structure. Its function is to pump blood.

Blood vessels are specialized structures that work together with the heart in the circulatory system. The function of that system is to carry important materials like oxygen, water, energy and waste for the bodys cells.

The organs in your digestive system are specialized structures that work together. Their function is to remove nutrients from food and put them into your blood.

Well done!! You just watched a loooong presentation. Only someone who is really interested in science would watch the whole thing. Ill bet you know a lot more about life science now than you did before.